Canadian Idol 6, August 11: A Simple Plan to Win

This article kicks off with yet another trivia question. At this point, half of the contestants are from one province. Has that ever happened before? The answer will appear somewhere near the end of this article.

In the audience tonight is Ben’s mother, Mila (famous in her own right), and several other family members.

As usual, the show begins with a brief recap of the previous episode. It was a surprise to many when Theo and Earl were both called to center stage, but Mark Day was the one sent home to The Rock.

Series host Ben Mulroney welcomes us to the show, then announces the theme of “Canadian Rock” and that the guest coaches are the Montréal-based group Simple Plan. I don’t think they’re here.

Ben next introduces the judges and inflicts BPRQs (Boring Predictable Response Questions) to each. He first asks judge Jake Gold how Canadian artists are perceived around the world. He says they have a reputation as “great live acts.” Sass Jordan is asked to name some of her favourite Canadian bands, and she reels of quite a list: The Odds, Nickelback, Three Days Grace, April Wine, and Brood are the first ones she can name before Ben cuts her off. When asked how Canadian music has developed over the last few years, Farley Flex (looking resplendent in a gold jacket!) responds that it’s being reflected by lots of sales and Grammy nominations.

As usual, Zack Werner fluffs off his question, which is about what he expects tonight. In fact, he says, “Well, I’m expecting that we can we get past this lame part of the show where you ask us an inane question and we give you a petty, pat answer, and get on with finding out who is the next Canadian Idol!” See – it’s not just me who is mega-annoyed by these BPRQs!

Ben takes the hint and cues the playing of an informational video about Simple Plan. Their three albums have sold over seven million copies worldwide. They feel each is very different, but all of them rock like Simple Plan can.

Amberly Thiessen - Age 19 - Seven Persons, AB

As usual, each performance is preceded by video of the Idol’s time with the guest-coaches. Now, although it might be great to credit each band member with their individual contributions… folks, that’s just not going to happen in this article!

Simple Plan feel, “Amberly is very girl next door. People can connect with her, both guys and girls.” Gosh, that almost sounds naughty! They admire her voice and her genuine image. Accompanied by a horn trio and a string quartet, Amberly will be singing Feist’s “1234.”

Totally in black, Amberly performs a fairly faithful rendition of the original, until the very end when she puts a bit of herself into it. She does a decent job but it seems a bit safe/predictable, and since the original is so iconic, Amberly’s vocal performance doesn’t stand out for me. With so few contestants remaining, this is not a home run.

Jake feels that although vocally it was a very strong performance, she didn’t do much to make it her own. However, he still liked it. Sass agrees, saying, “You’re already great.” Farley agrees with both, though he wishes Amberly had made better use of the stage. Zack feels the need to interpret what the others are saying and summarizes, “While you sang just fine… to me, it kind of came across as ‘Elvira, Mistress Of The Dark’ singing a Feist song, and that just doesn’t make any sense to me.” Zack, I’m pretty sure that’s not what the others were saying!

Theo Tams - Age 22 - Lethbridge, AB

Simple Plan note Theo’s classical voice training, and feel that when he plays piano, it’s so natural that you don’t even notice it. They liked his performance from last week when he played the front man, but prefer him at the keys. They advise Theo that he should do what he feels passionate about. Theo likes that advice so much that he says he plans to use it beyond the competition.

Sure enough, Theo’s back behind the piano tonight. His hair is either cut rather short, or it’s slicked way down. He’s singing Sarah Slean’s “Sweet Ones,” which Carly Rae Jepson sang sweetly in last season’s final 18 round. Theo shows us how a little male aggression makes the song even better in the second turn at the chorus, as he stands up, knocking the piano bench aside, and really knocks it out. Brilliant work.

Sass likes how Theo “rode the waves of the melody” and the “physicality” of his performance. Farley admires the energy level. Zack feels it was “probably the truest and best thing you’ve done,” and he is getting a “Rufus Wainwright vibe” from Theo. He wonders aloud, “Is Canada ready to embrace that as an Idol?” as he looks whimsically to the rafters. Jake notes how Simple Plan picked up how interconnected it is when Theo plays the piano as he sings. Jake is sure Canada is ready for Theo!

Mitch MacDonald - Age 22 - Port Hope, Cape Breton, NS

Before Mitch sings, clips are run showing the avid support the Idols are getting from their fans. This is pretty special stuff to a bunch of folks not used to having fans, and all six are really appreciative of the support!