Tommorrow's Finale and thoughts from Ricky Minor regarding Matt

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/americanidoltracker/

Scroll down to you get to the Round Table video

-For the two day finale the AI band is performing 24 songs. Wow 24 songs? That's a lot. Never mind he said many of these songs will be compromised of group melodies with 2,3,4 songs in them.

-Special guests...started 6 weeks ago preparing and everyday there was a new development.

The interviewer asked Ricky who handled the pressure the best and the worst. Ricky said Allison handled it the best and Matt had the hardest time. He said Matt wanted it so much but that he basically had a lack of confidence. At least that is what I got. He said Matt was the main contestant at the piano playing and singing songs with the others but that he couldn't transfer his talent onto the stage . Watch 2nd video from 9:55 to 12:10. Go ahead and call the older lady a bitch because I did! You'll see what I mean after watching it. I say Bull shit! Kris is hardly the musician Matt is. I am so tired of Matt not getting the credit he deserves for arranging his own songs completely by himself. Urgghhh! I didn't watch the rest of the videos because it was way too long!

I can't wait for Matt to blow everyone away on the AI tour and all the detractors can eat crow! I wonder how Kris will come across in the big venues because on TV he bored the hell out of me!

Well, I can't watch the video cause I am at work. But I will say that I agree with Ricky - in a way - because Matt was definitely the MAIN man backstage it looked like. Ya know? I mean...he was always the one everyone crowded around and he always sounded INCREDIBLE at the piano in those intimate settings.

I think his nerves just caught the best of him on stage. And he agrees with that - he's said in many interviews since off AI, that he is more relaxed and feels less pressure to perform. He can just have fun and create good music now.

That's what I am hoping to see on tour as well. The relaxed Matt...and hopefully this is only the beginning of a great career to come!

Relaxed Matt is incredible Matt. Just go watch again his Ellen performance.
IF he had performed like that every week he would have won the whole show. Really. He would be in that finale with Adam tonight. Sigh..

It's all good now. Better times will come.

I remember when Matt sang"Georgia" during Hollywood week, I said to myself: "There's the winner right there". But then he came with Coldplay for the semis, picking the wrong song to sing live the first time. You see, he was still learning.

Still, it was so gratifying after that to see him prevail week after week and keep impressing people. He gave us so many amazing performances. "Who's Loving You", "Human Nature", "So Small" (the best ever), " Part Time Lover", "To Really Love a Woman". Sigh.

Nerves got to him. End of the story. He admitted it too.

I heart him so much. He deserves much success, he learned so much from this experience and that can only help him with his future career.
I really hope a big name producer has his eye on him and a major record label makes him an offer.

That is why I cant wait for tomorrow. I hope that we all see the laid back Matt we know and love NO pressure. Just sing baby sing.

It's hard to admit that it's true about his nerves. I agree with whoever posted above about the fact that Matt should have been in the finals (I think we ALL feel that way!). I really think (with the exception of VLV, that was just a poor song choice above all) that he was on a huge roll until he ended up in the bottom 2 after LGIO. There was no reason for Simon to make that rude comment to him (and Sarver, too). I think that was the turning point, when Matt maybe started to question himself.
Oh well, I suppose there's no point in dredging up the past. At least we are now seeing how incredible he can be without the weight of the competition on him. I prefer a musician who wears his emotions on his sleeve anyways; that's the only way I can connect with them. The superficialities of American Idol just didn't serve Matt well; he's too honest and genuine about his music for the games.
After his performance tomorrow, I'm just going to look ahead to the future. I really believe in my heart and soul that Matt will achieve success. The world NEEDS to have this incredible talent in it's midst. Even if people don't realize the full extent of what Matt has to offer now...it's only a matter of time before they become aware!

Screw the win; Matt Giraud for the SUCCESS!!

OvenMitt wrote:

It's hard to admit that it's true about his nerves. I agree with whoever posted above about the fact that Matt should have been in the finals (I think we ALL feel that way!). I really think (with the exception of VLV, that was just a poor song choice above all) that he was on a huge roll until he ended up in the bottom 2 after LGIO. There was no reason for Simon to make that rude comment to him (and Sarver, too). I think that was the turning point, when Matt maybe started to question himself.
Oh well, I suppose there's no point in dredging up the past. At least we are now seeing how incredible he can be without the weight of the competition on him. I prefer a musician who wears his emotions on his sleeve anyways; that's the only way I can connect with them. The superficialities of American Idol just didn't serve Matt well; he's too honest and genuine about his music for the games.
After his performance tomorrow, I'm just going to look ahead to the future. I really believe in my heart and soul that Matt will achieve success. The world NEEDS to have this incredible talent in it's midst. Even if people don't realize the full extent of what Matt has to offer now...it's only a matter of time before they become aware!

Screw the win; Matt Giraud for the SUCCESS!!

this is what I've always thought as well. It must really mess with your head to sing great for what was it 4 weeks in a row at that point, get good feedback from the judges, basically be told you are a front-runner and end up just one person shy of being eliminated at 10th place... which would have been the biggest joke of all time! That's when he started over thinking things (i think it was the next week he was singing with the sway bots in the pit right?) and when he overthinks things, he got lost... Matt's at his best when he just lets it fly and does things without thinking... i'm not all that familiar with what it entails to be a dueling piano player in a bar but I imagine you have to be spontaneous and fun and being able to think quickly to keep people's attention..

I really feel everything happened for a reason... Especially in a season that seems so manipulated by TPTB... Matt's name wasn't drudged up in all the Idol-hoopla enough for it really to effect him in the long run... I think, Kris for example, will always be "American Idol contestant Kris Allen" same with Danny and a few others... but I think Matt wasn't hyped and overpraised to death and talked about as much so people may not even associate him with the show for very long... Him placing 5th might just be a blessing in disguise for him

pebbles87 wrote:

OvenMitt wrote:

It's hard to admit that it's true about his nerves. I agree with whoever posted above about the fact that Matt should have been in the finals (I think we ALL feel that way!). I really think (with the exception of VLV, that was just a poor song choice above all) that he was on a huge roll until he ended up in the bottom 2 after LGIO. There was no reason for Simon to make that rude comment to him (and Sarver, too). I think that was the turning point, when Matt maybe started to question himself.
Oh well, I suppose there's no point in dredging up the past. At least we are now seeing how incredible he can be without the weight of the competition on him. I prefer a musician who wears his emotions on his sleeve anyways; that's the only way I can connect with them. The superficialities of American Idol just didn't serve Matt well; he's too honest and genuine about his music for the games.
After his performance tomorrow, I'm just going to look ahead to the future. I really believe in my heart and soul that Matt will achieve success. The world NEEDS to have this incredible talent in it's midst. Even if people don't realize the full extent of what Matt has to offer now...it's only a matter of time before they become aware!

Screw the win; Matt Giraud for the SUCCESS!!

this is what I've always thought as well. It must really mess with your head to sing great for what was it 4 weeks in a row at that point, get good feedback from the judges, basically be told you are a front-runner and end up just one person shy of being eliminated at 10th place... which would have been the biggest joke of all time! That's when he started over thinking things (i think it was the next week he was singing with the sway bots in the pit right?) and when he overthinks things, he got lost... Matt's at his best when he just lets it fly and does things without thinking... i'm not all that familiar with what it entails to be a dueling piano player in a bar but I imagine you have to be spontaneous and fun and being able to think quickly to keep people's attention..

I really feel everything happened for a reason... Especially in a season that seems so manipulated by TPTB... Matt's name wasn't drudged up in all the Idol-hoopla enough for it really to effect him in the long run... I think, Kris for example, will always be "American Idol contestant Kris Allen" same with Danny and a few others... but I think Matt wasn't hyped and overpraised to death and talked about as much so people may not even associate him with the show for very long... Him placing 5th might just be a blessing in disguise for him

That makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside! I'd never thought of it like that, but it's so true. People who have fallen off since Idol always get the "American Idol Contestant" tag before their name just so people remember who the hell they are! That could never be Matt!

Another aspect of this: in hindsight, I think TPTB actually did Matt a favor by saving him. Not in the sense that he got to be on the show for 2 more weeks (but obviously that was great!), but in that he will always be remembered for it. No matter what AI fantards thought about the save (jealousy, mostly!), the general public took notice of Matt because of it. Record execs who weren't already circling like vultures probably thought, "Ooh, that's a keeper right there!". People noted his potential because the judges made it clear by saving him that he was WORTH having that opportunity. Some may say that between that and the wildcard selection, Matt's a "charity case". Wrong: he's a supremely talented individual whose abilities go right over the heads of most of the numbskulls who watch Idol. TPTB were trying to let people know this, but apparently viewers need the subtlty of a frying pan against their head to appreciate talent. Go figure!

^^^^ yes too all that OvenMitt!!! I think he had just enough exposure and hype for people to not say "Matt Giraud who?" but didn't get overhyped to death like Adam where people will look for "Sgt. Pepper's"- like greatness out of him, then get dissapointed when something other than a golden God nugget gets released.... and he never compromised his sound either, he showed who he was, who he wanted to be after this is all over, and the record producers who are (or at least SHOULD be) looking at him know what he's got up his sleeve... he was never kareoke whether it was good or bad.... he was always Matt

Yep. That's the crux right there, Pebbles. He got JUST enough exposure without being a victim. And he retained his sense of self. He probably saw the writing on the wall when the judges tried to box him in, and then thought, "Fuck it. I'm doing this my way, and if it's not good enough, at least I didn't sell my soul.". Well, maybe he didn't think those EXACT thoughts, but from his actions, I'm guessing it was something similar. Good for him to keep his integrity. That's the most valueable thing a person making their way into the music industry can have (talent is a given!). That's the ONLY thing that will ensure your music STAYS your music and isn't compromised.