That grand AI tradition that separates the contestants into small groups of competing personality disorders. Some will meld together and create something musical some will less then meld to create something explosive.

Keep all the discussion here until the show ends on the West Coast. Text only please.

• Welcome back to hell,Snidget, 09:01 PM, 02-10-10
  • RE: Welcome back to hell,whimsey, 09:07 PM, 02-10-10
    • RE: Welcome back to hell,cahaya, 09:08 PM, 02-10-10
• 96 remain. ,Snidget, 09:03 PM, 02-10-10
  • RE: 96 remain. ,Snidget, 09:05 PM, 02-10-10
    • RE: 96 remain. ,cahaya, 09:07 PM, 02-10-10
    • RE: 96 remain. ,whimsey, 09:08 PM, 02-10-10
• Rehearsals in the night,Snidget, 09:15 PM, 02-10-10
  • Water,cahaya, 09:17 PM, 02-10-10
• Breakfast,Snidget, 09:23 PM, 02-10-10
• Three Girls Faith,Snidget, 09:24 PM, 02-10-10
  • RE: Three Girls Faith,cahaya, 09:29 PM, 02-10-10
  • RE: Three Girls Faith,Belle Book, 01:28 PM, 02-11-10
• Big Mike's Group Team Awesome,Snidget, 09:26 PM, 02-10-10
  • RE: Big Mike's Group Team Awesome,cahaya, 09:30 PM, 02-10-10
• Team Awesome results,Snidget, 09:30 PM, 02-10-10
• Aww...,cahaya, 09:32 PM, 02-10-10
• Neapolitan,Snidget, 09:33 PM, 02-10-10
  • RE: Neapolitan,cahaya, 09:34 PM, 02-10-10
• Destiny's Wild,Snidget, 09:34 PM, 02-10-10
• Montage of groups,Snidget, 09:35 PM, 02-10-10
  • RE: Montage of groups,cahaya, 09:38 PM, 02-10-10
• The Mighty Rangers,Snidget, 09:37 PM, 02-10-10
  • RE: The Mighty Rangers,cahaya, 09:39 PM, 02-10-10
• Pheonix. Closet Group, in trouble.,Snidget, 09:45 PM, 02-10-10
• Montage of struggle,Snidget, 09:46 PM, 02-10-10
• Big Dreams last group with Sweet Escape.,Snidget, 09:48 PM, 02-10-10
  • RE: Big Dreams last group with Sweet Escape.,cahaya, 09:51 PM, 02-10-10
• Goodbye montage,Snidget, 09:49 PM, 02-10-10
  • RE: Goodbye montage,cahaya, 09:51 PM, 02-10-10
• RE: AI9 2/10 Hollywood--Groups ECST,jbug, 09:51 PM, 02-10-10
  • RE: AI9 2/10 Hollywood--Groups ECST,Snidget, 09:53 PM, 02-10-10
  • RE: AI9 2/10 Hollywood--Groups ECST,cahaya, 09:54 PM, 02-10-10
• Middle C,Snidget, 09:55 PM, 02-10-10
• The Dreamers,Snidget, 09:58 PM, 02-10-10
  • 96 started,Snidget, 09:59 PM, 02-10-10
    • RE: 96 started,cahaya, 11:00 PM, 02-10-10
• RE: AI9 2/10 Hollywood--Groups ECST,Maroonclown, 09:39 AM, 02-11-10
• RE: AI9 2/10 Hollywood--Groups ECST,DrKegel, 01:20 PM, 02-13-10
  • RE: AI9 2/10 Hollywood--Groups ECST,Snidget, 01:46 PM, 02-13-10
    • RE: AI9 2/10 Hollywood--Groups ECST,DrKegel, 06:35 PM, 02-16-10
      • RE: AI9 2/10 Hollywood--Groups ECST,Snidget, 06:50 PM, 02-16-10

and the worst is yet to come.

It starts right now.

Day 5 of the weather craziness, and still here with ya, snidget!

Yo!

I like trying to find the top 24 gems during the auditions and Hollywood elimination shows.

So far, nobody really stands out as a clear potential winner.

Trying to find groups and agree on a song.

Some formations difficult, others seem to happen naturally. Some get right down to business.

People go missing, gets nasty, some shine others crumble. Big Mike's Baby Drama.

Even at this stage (pun intended), the odds aren't good, especially if you aren't.

Big Mike's Baby Drama

Every year ... there's one every year. Or something like it.

The Dreamers, two are missing. Asking if they can have a three person group.

Groups looking for places. One of the groups is too loud, that is Toddrick's group. Move and they have a volume off with another group. And Toddrick's group accused of stealing stuff.

Meanwhile in the closet. (where Danny's group was last year). They don't like repeat girl's arrangement.

Erin and Hope still not sure they are part of the Dreamers. they don't want Mary to take charge.

Race against time.

2:30 am. Big Mike on the phone, they got it done quick so more baby drama stuff.

Some contestants go to bed, a lot still rehearing, and the Tired taking its toll.

Dreamer power stuggle getting its second wind. Mary starts to annoy the staff/coaches.

The battling Gaga groups. Neapolitan and Destiny's Wild.

Using the bottle as a faux mic or a phone call about it being broken.

Some groups are cohesive, singing, dancing, twirling a pole, other groups are still trying to figure out which key they're on.

Renewed energy. Everyone seems confident? That can't be good.

final dress. Something missing? Oh the words. And some groups getting a reality check.

Big Mike's wife is taking a long time.

Destiny's Wild still hogging the attention. Mary is upset after watching them.

As they are being called in Big Mike gets a call. Play by play of every push, what is this TLC baby making show?

FInally starting.

You Must Not Know About Me. Beyonce.

Ashley Rodriguez in this group.

All through even though in two lines.

Quite a trio here. Not sure who's the star but they shine together.

Glad to see Ashley in it. She did pretty well.

Belle Book

Get Ready.

Michael Tim step forward. Michael Castro and Seth in the back row. Seth has the autism kid.

Front row....after the break.

These guys rocked it pretty good.

It's kind of surprising how they can form up a group song in such short order and make good of it.

Front row through, back row end of the line.

... more baby drama. Heartmelting pic on the phone.

Destiny's Wild they got Bird first, and think they are the only people thinking they might come up with A Capella.

Simon. You made an effort.

Have all four step forward and they are all going through.

Whut? No 'step backwards' and 'step sideways' by Ellen?

Too easy.

Have more Gymnastics.

It was weird. Like Cirque says Ellen.

They are all sticking around.

all going through.

Not much culling tonight... yet.

Glasses girl already blaming the rest of the group if she goes.
The not wanting to rehearse ones losing the lyrics.

Glases girl and the other one that practiced go through. Lyrics forgetting boy begs.

Forget the lyrics? take the stairs down and out.

Kat Nestle quits without warning. She knows she will mess up.

Carry On My Wayward Son.

Kara. That sounded like Survivor to me.
Simon what did you go through. 12 hours to learn a song. Simon says someone leaving is not a hardship.

Vince, Morea step forward. Front row end of the line. Jeff and Jermaine moving on.

Sweet Escape by Gwen Stefani.

Birthday in prison boy.
Amanda the begging girl.

Simon says no step forward and back, it was horrific. Simon will not take anything into consideration. All in the same boat and it is the end of the road.

Cruel editing again. While some earlier groups make it through intact, other whole groups crash and burn. Ouch.

*sob* *sniff*

group time is rough on some of these guys!

seems a bit unfair that some of the songs seem so much harder to sing than others;

i missed the beginning - were they assigned a song or did they choose?

They picked 'em from a list.

There are always a couple of songs that seem to be the crash and burn ones. If you actually nail one of those songs it is a really good thing, but most of them crash and burn on the crash and burn song.

Good question, I wonder how their song is chosen. Seems like they get to pick and run with it.

Janell Wheeler's group Jermaine Purfoy. Casey James.

Three men and a Baby.
Andrew, Katie, J.B.

All through both groups.

Drama central.

Simon wants to switch one of the microphones off.
Stop it during Alex Lambert's solo.

Backgrounds were painful.

Mary step forward. hope step forward. Alex step forward.

Tought ride. Front row made it to the next round.

71 remain.

Some of the names we've heard get mentioned as making it through.

71 to 24, still about one in three.

If there's any part of AI to skip, it's these sessions as we get to hear only a few clips from several groups and individuals.

I like the city auditions better only because people get more air time and we can find the top 24 potentials based on their performances.

*cough*Casey*cough*

That.is.all.

MC starts packing up the travel trunk with supplies. Time to head out to the country.

Okay, why on earth would anyone pick Sweet Escape by Gwen Stefani? Aren't contestants known for blowing lyrics? And don't you get sent home for forgetting? So you're going to deliberately shoot yourself in the foot by having to memorize nonsensical lyrics that need to be repeated at a rapid fire pace of 12 words per nanosecond? Why? I would pick the easiest song on the list! If Row Row Row Your Boat were down there as a choice, I'd choose it! Or Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star! And you would think someone that had been there two previous times and knew this was his last shot would know that!

I'm perplexed as to why they're keeping Mr. throwback to Jim Morrison and Mick Jagger and the old rockers hidden? Haven't heard the ex-drummer guy sing once yet. Did see him running and jumping at being put through. Haven't noticed him climbing any more trees yet either - probably a good thing given his last experience!

Is he that good? He does have that strange pheromonal thing going on where women are strangely turned on by whatever his glands excrete. I found myself doing it as well, and I'm as old as dirt. I was like, "Hmmmm, I'm finding this guy strangely attractive," and then I saw Kara and the guest judge practically starry-eyed and about to pass out from a school girl, crushy, gushy, romantic high.

I think they tried this tactic with a few winners. Must be they think he's special and has this magnetism that will drive women wild. Well, if I find myself running to the television screen and smooching the glass, I'll have my answer.

Sometimes I think they do cast for reasons other than singing ability, and one way to hide that is to not show the singing so you don't know it was always off.

On the other hand, some people love to pick audition pieces they can't seem to get clearance for. On SYTYCD they can get away with finding a piece with the right rhythm and have said they have dubbed over music they can't play. With singing that is a heck of a lot harder to do.

quote
On SYTYCD they can get away with finding a piece with the right rhythm and have said they have dubbed over music they can't play.
unquote

Snidget -

Is this true? Do they say that? Is this only in the audition phase?

I guess if it's in the audition phase - provided the piece fits - it's not too bad. Just kind of surprised is all.

I'm such an ingenue!

I think I read something or heard something on an interview about one of the people that works on the show being a whiz at finding music if they can't clear the audition piece. It sounded like it was just for the auditions.

The performance pieces during the vote off I'm sure they clear ahead of time (like they couldn't do a Michael Jackson tribute as the family wouldn't clear the music) but people usually can audition to whatever and then they only try to clear it after they know which auditions they want to show.