DREAM ON

The more I see of the homogenized American Idol entertainment aesthetic, the more I believe that James Durbin totally dodged a bullet by his premature elimination. The bloated spectacle of the AI finale was a lesson in showbiz cheez-o-nomics: if they have an album, a video, a movie, or a comeback tour to flog, give 'em a guest star spot on the show. It was two-plus hours of fluff and foolery before the big revelation that Scotty McCreery's fans had out-voted Lauren Alaina's for the top prize.

Seriously, name two previous AI season winners who have gone on to have real music careers. Okay, now name two not counting Carrie Underwood. The point is, winning the AI crown is just as likely to be the kiss of death as a launching pad for future success. By far, the more interesting performers are the ones who don't make it all the way to the top. The only reason most of us disappointed fans of James, Haley Reinhart, Casey Abrams, or Pia Toscana, tuned in at all was to see our faves perform one more time.

Not that AI had a clue what to do with them. First it was everybody in the Top 13 onstage in spangly white outfits for the openining production number, Lady Gaga's "Born This Way". The seven lady finalists were later paired up with Beyonce (who quickly turned them into her backup chorus), and rappers TLC. The guys sang the greatest hits of Tom Jones (who later joined them onstage). But only the top seven finalists got to sing solos (or at last duets with selected guest stars); the rest only got to sing snippets of medleys. Maybe if they'd had a few less guest stars, there would have been time for Pia to sing a whole song.

Sure, there were moments. In the Jones segment, Casey was an entertaining frontman for a boisterously melodramatic group rendition of "Delilah." But James' solo was, um ... "What's New Pussycat?" Okay, he hit all those "Whoa-a-whoa-a-whoas..." but it wasn't much of a showcase for his singing or showmanship.

James was more in his element when he got to sing two songs onstage with his metal heroes, Judas Priest. It wasn't the most effective material he's had all season, but he proved once again that he knows how to command the stage, hit a few chill-inducing high notes, and looked like he was having the time of his life.

Casey's showcase song was "Fat-Bottomed Girls," sadly, not sung with Queen, but with Jack Black. (Followed by—surprise!— a commercial for Kung Fu Panda 2.) Yes, it was sort of a weird choice, but it reminded us what was always so fun about Casey—we never knew what we were going to get! Haley was paired with the venerable Tony Bennett for a nice, jazzy duet on the chestnut "Steppin' Out (With My Baby)."

In between there were yet more celebrity guest spots—Bono and Edge from U2, backing Reeve Carney in a production number from the Spider Man musical, and another nutty appearance by Lady Gaga to premiere a new single, perched high atop a giant climbing wall, in a leather bikini and a headdress that resembled a window shade, surrounded by dancers and explosive effects. (Could this show just please get over Lady Gaga?) This is what performers have to do these days to get noticed. Once upon a time, talented people could just shut up and sing.

When judge Steven Tyler appeared at the piano, striking the opening bars of "Dream On," for an instant, breaths were held all over America. This was the song he promised to sing with James at the finale, if James made it into the Top 2. But no such luck; Tyler labored through a short solo that lacked the pulse and the passion James would have brought, had it been a duet.

The point is, do kids watching AI even know who Tony Bennett, Tom Jones, (or even Judas Priest) are? They might as well trot out Rudy Vallee in a raccoon coat, singing through a megaphone, for all these acts mean to the show's coveted younger demographic. As for the contemporary acts—Beyonce, Gaga, Marc Anthony (accompanied by wife and judge Jennifer Lopez, shaking her booty at the audience): this kind of overproduced pop-rock junk food is the reason God invented alt rock. It's the kind of creaky showbiz razzmatazz AI seems determined to preserve.

James demonstrated every week that he has a better idea of what to do with his big voice and rock 'n' roll sensibility than any of the so-called mentors on the show. All of a sudden, his early elimination doesn't feel like an ouster; it's more like a graduation. Come September when the AI summer tour is over, he'll be free to pursue his own dream and make the kind of music he does best. As long as nobody forces him to sing Tom Jones, he'll do just fine.

SKULLDUGGERY

Hard to believe it's been less than two weeks since the shock and awe of James Durbin's elimination from American Idol. Since then, the web has been all abuzz with how the voting might have been—let's put this politely—compromised.

On the GT Facebook wall, as well as AI discussion boards all over the internet (especially this lengthy thread at the site Autism Key) Durbin fans are reporting problems with the voting system. Many California call-in voters claim they were never able to get past the all-circuits-are-busy signals. (Although one fan reports that when she tried dialing in one vote for Scotty McCreery instead, to test the system, it went right through.)

Other voters cite technical malfunction. When one online voter clicked in a vote for James, a picture of Haley Reinhart appeared onscreen. Others claimed when they voted for James, they received a confirmation for Lauren Alaina. A third problem cited (and this one more insidious, since it involves a degree of human calculation) is the misleading voting number assigned to James that week. In previous weeks, each AI contestant was assigned a voting number that corresponded to the order in which they performed. But on that last, fateful night, although James performed in the Number 1 and Number 8 slots, he was arbitrarily assigned voting numbers 1 and 5. Who was assigned voting number 8? Lauren Alaina. Since James had never, ever, been in the bottom three right up to the night he got eliminated, whereas Lauren had been in the bottom three just the week before, well, it's enough to turn us all into conspiracy theorists. (Read more)

Personally, I don't think it's going to hurt James one iota to be out of the running on AI. Whether or not there's any skullduggery involved, James getting voted off has already become a bigger story than the two contestants left standing. I'll probably skip the final round of competition tonight; I feel like I've already seen everything Scotty and Lauren can do. But you can bet I'll be watching the finale Wednesday night, not to see who wins, but to see if James comes back to sing one more song. We're still waiting for that duet with Steven Tyler!

30,000 CRUZANS CAN'T BE WRONG

How did James Durbin rock Santa Cruz on Saturday? With a vengeance.

The 48-hour emotional whirlwind that plunged us all into despair when the American Idol voting results were announced Thursday night spun Cruzans into soaring delirium Saturday when James got his homecoming after all—the first contestant in Idol history to be granted a weekend home, even though he finished out of the Final Three. Some 30,000 of us thronged to the Boardwalk bandstand on Saturday to see him perform live (the biggest crowd in the 104-year history of the Boardwalk), all of us eager to be part of the first show of the rest of his life.

Anticipation was in the air online and all morning, including some excellent photos texted to the Sentinel website by Kevin Johnson of James stopping in to get a bite at Zoccoli's downtown, and signing autographs (and a table). The James Show officially kicked off at 2:30 at Louden Nelson Center, where he met with his former mentors and current performers from Kids On Broadway and All About Theater, as well as parents and children diagnosed with Tourette's and Asperger's Syndromes. This would be followed by a motorcade down Center Street, past Depot Park, around the roundabout, and down Beach Street to the Boardwalk.

But while all this was going on, my friend Donna and I opted to go straight to the beach. We parked a few blocks away, walked over the railroad tracks, and joined the crowds hiking in to the Boardwalk. (Along the way we all passed the Starz Bakery table, doing a brisk business with their James Durbin cupcakes—many of which I'm sure will be shellacked or otherwise preserved as a memento of the day.) By 3 p.m., the Boardwalk Esplanade as well as the upper deck overlooking the bandstand were already crammed with people, so we staked out a little patch of sand on the crowded beach to the right of the stage, just down from the Double Shot ride (whose hysterically screaming riders only added to the festive sense of excitement).

The White Album Ensemble was already onstage, tuning up. Except for a giant amp here or there, we had a pretty good view of the side of the stage. All ages were represented in the crowd; lots of teens and tweens, of course, but also entire families (a woman behind us proudly announced she was there with three generations of her family), parents hoisting up little kids on their shoulders, as well as a sizeable contingent of geezers and grannies, all of us bouncing and lip-synching to the WAE's Beatle tunes. James' appeal cuts across all age boundaries, but the most fun to watch were the kids, from girls with all their various hand-made "We (Heart) James" signs to the little boy in the Vine Hill Elementary T-shirt with his long hair gelled up into a big Mohawk , to the young Goth teen with the black-and-white scarf "rat tail" dangling out of his back jeans pocket, James-style. And everybody was in a friendly, celebratory mood.

Toward the end of the WAE's hour-and-a-half set, the crowd started pressing in closer (all we could see was a sea of heads in all directions) with the word that James had hit the beach. It took another 15-20 minutes for the lifeguard truck he rode in on to deliver him past the throngs to the bandstand; sequential screaming from the outskirts of the mob ensued as people got their first glimpse of his blond-streaked hair in the intermittent sunlight as the truck inched by.

And then he was up on the bandstand in real life, no commercial interruption, no tape delays. It's pretty amazing to see someone you've welcomed into your home on TV for 10 weeks suddenly live onstage; I was so glad I hadn't slothed out, stayed home and waited for the You Tube recap. The crowd went nuts, as James personally hugged every single member of the WAE, and waved to the roaring fans.

He thanked everyone for showing up, and for their support, and then the Boardwalk representative who was acting as emcee asked him how he felt about coming home to Santa Cruz. James thought about it for a moment, then walked over to stage left. "Can you hear me?" he shouted to the crowd on that side, who roared in response. "I can't hear you," he challenged them, prompting an even more seismic response. He marched centerstage, repeated the challenge, and got another deafening response, then came to our side, the edge of stage right, shouted the same litany, and had us all screaming like idiots. Then he marched centerstage once more, and raised his arms to us all, provoking a bone-rattling tsunami of rapturous joy.

"That's how I feel," he said. (Can this guy work a crowd, or what?)

Then he sat down on the edge of the stage, front and center, feet dangling over the side, and chatted about Thursday night's elimination round on American Idol. "The reason I was so emotional wasn't because I was off the show," he told us. The reason, he said, was that he'd been so looking forward to the chance to come home and thank "each and every one of you" for our support during his Idol adventure, a reunion he now assumed he wouldn't get. (The feeling was mutual; hands up, everybody else who went to bed in tears Thursday night, not only because we thought James had been robbed on the show, but because we thought we'd all been cheated out of Durbin Day?) He then praised Mayor Ryan Coonerty for his Herculean 11th hour efforts to make sure James got his homecoming after all.

Coonerty himself then came downstage, proclamation in hand. No mean hand at crowd manipulation himself, Coonerty asked the audience if they felt like "Durbin Day" was quite enough. What about "Durbin Week," he suggested, or maybe "Durbin Month?" At last, he handed the proclamation to James, designating "2011 as James Durbin Year!" At this point, Coonerty went on, it was customary to hand over the keys to the city, "But this is Santa Cruz, and we do things differently." Then he presented James with a custom surfboard painted with a portrait of James singing.

Finally, it was time for James to do what he'd come to do: sing. (Although not before he proclaimed to the crowd, "I was born in Santa Cruz. I grew up in Santa Cruz. And I'll forever live in Santa Cruz!") With the WAE as his backup band, he opened with "Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow?'" (a loaded question for this crowd), complete with lilting a capella first verse, and a driving finish to the finale, "You better love me tomorrow!" that makes this song his own. Next up was his signature tune with the WAE, "While My Guitar Gently Weeps," delivered with haunting finesse (despite a funky sound system that made it difficult to hear himself).

That was theoretically all we were supposed to get, although of course he came back for one encore, after much shouting from the crowd. ("What are you saying? 'Bang A Gong?' " he asked. "Oh, one more song!") He then launched into a wailing version of "Don't Stop Believin'," which had everyone going nuts. If he had to narrow down his repertoire to one, single theme song, that would probably be it.

The fun thing about seeing James Durbin live is, yes, he really sings that well, moves around the stage like he was born on it, and engages the audience, big time. The next opportunity to see him live will be on the American Idol summer roadshow tour, July 13, at the Shark Tank in San Jose. I encourage fans to show up at that event to support James in his own back yard. After that, hold on to your rat tails; his solo career is just around the corner.

Concert photos by Brad Kava, Watsonville.Patch.com. See the slideshow.

Here are some fabulous photos by Donaven Staab, Boardwalk Staff Photographer, on the BW Facebook page

Here's a great You Tube composite video of James' arrival at the beach and performances.

WHY WE LOVE JAMES

Wait a minute, stop the presses! (Gee, I've always wanted to say that!)

This just in: Durbin Day will go on as planned in Santa Cruz tomorrow (Saturday), including a parade through downtown and a live performance at the Boardwalk beach bandstand. Click here right now for all the details!

And btw, don't miss James tonight on Jay Leno!

Is it possible to be too good for American Idol? It happened to James Durbin last night when the program's viewing and voting public failed to cast enough votes to send him into the Final Three. This was an enormous shock, especially when you consider that James is one of only two Idol performers this season who has never even finished in the bottom three before, not to mention that he consistently out-sang and out-performed the competition week after week after week.

James' elimination is not about any lack of talent. Rather, it's about a talent too big, gutsy, and exuberant to be contained within the very narrow confines of the American Idol pop-rock playbook. Sure, I'm prejudiced, but don't take my word for it. Look who's left standing: Southern teenage country crooners Scotty McCreery and Lauren Alaina, who have played it safe in their song choices every week. (Both of whom also effectively played the God card this week to mobilize their vast Bible Belt fan base. Maybe James should have found a cross to kiss.) The only risk-taker left in the game is smoky-voiced Haley Reinhart. I like her, but unlike James, she's never managed to establish a consistent personality onstage. She's finished in the bottom so often, and is so routinely dissed by the judges, this week, the voters must have decided to come to her defense.

Why do we love James? Because he's so much fun to watch! An exciting and dynamic performer, he understands stagecraft and brings a richly developed sense of theatre to the table every time. How about his intuitive showmanship, designing and creating his own production numbers every week? Then there's his versatility; he can cradle a ballad or belt out a rocker without missing a beat—or a note. And OMG, that voice! His Top 5 performances this season? 1) "Maybe I'm Amazed," for its melting authenticity (he sang it again last night as his farewell song); 2) "Uprising," by Muse, for its electrifying authority; 3) "Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow," for its pliant, a capella beginning and big rocker finish; 4) "Heavy Metal" and "Saturday Night's All Right For Fighting" (tie), for their gutsy showmanship; 5) "While My Guitar Gently Weeps," for its quiet, stunning power. (Wait, I didn't even mention this week's playful, vocally acrobatic "Love Potion No. 9!" Well, you get the idea.)

The only losers in this scenario are the American viewing public, now cheated out of the fun of tuning in every week to see what James will do next. For his part, James achieved everyhing he set out to do—he brought a necessary shot of adrenalin to a show that's started to go a little soft and stodgy around the edges. He also proved beyond a shadow of a doubt to all America that he was born to sing.

James Durbin's American Idol dream may be over, but his career is just beginning. Not winning the Idol jackpot hasn't impeded the careers of, say, Oscar-winner Jennifer Hudson (who finished Number 7 in 2004), or glam-rocker Adam Lambert, first runner-up in 2008. Idol may have let him slip away, but in the meantime, James has established a worldwide fan base. Untold gazillions of people are now primed and eager to buy his future CDs and throng to his live concerts. Like me, they all want to see what he does next.

The homecoming parade and Boardwalk bandstand performance that was to happen this Saturday have been cancelled. James has too many commitments, getting ready for the Idol finale in two weeks (in which all season contestants evidently appear), and the upcoming summer tour of the Top 10 finalists. But whenever he does come home, I hope there's still a parade in the works, for us more than him; the hometown fans are in a frenzy to show him the love!

So don't stop believin', James. You're the real deal.

TRUE COLORS, TRUE BELIEVERS

You know the producers of American Idol are on to something when they choose to open and close the show with James Durbin. It's the number one rule of showbiz: first, smack 'em upside the head and get their attention, then leave 'em wanting more. James delivered on both counts.

Although it was advertised as Leiber & Stoller night (the veteran songwriting duo who penned countless rockabilly, R&B, and Motown hits in the '50s and early '60s), Wednesday night's show was divided into two segments, giving each of the four remaining contestants two big numbers. The Jerry Leiber/Mike Stoller catalogue was used in the second half of the show, but in the first half, the competitors had to pick a song that they found "inspirational."

James chose to remain absolutely true to himself, opening the show with the Journey anthem, "Don't Stop Believin'." In the preview clip, he said it represented his own personal journey that has led him to A I, "because, since Day One, I've never stopped believing." His was a straight-ahead, stand-up rendition with no tricks; some minor pyrotechnics upstage, but otherwise it was all about his powerful, persuasive voice. He brought the crowd to its feet.

It was also left to James to close the show with a high-octane, rockin' version of "Love Potion No. 9," with a powerhouse, delayed finish that was so worth the wait. (Read more)

For those of you who came in late, here's the backstory on James Durbin's excellent American Idol adventure.

PASSION PLAY

Welcome to another of my bi-weekly James Durbin updates. I continue to watch American Idol, so you don't have to. (Just follow my links to the awesome videos!)

Last week, the voting public still respected James Durbin in the morning, after his haunting, yet driving rendition of "Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow" the night before.

But you've got another think coming if you think you've seen everything he can do. Wednesday night, he turned in not one, but two of the solid, quality performances the judges have come to expect from him every week on American Idol—a straight-up rocker, with a side of passion such as we rarely see in showbizzy Idol performances.

James was up first with the rocker, "Closer to the Edge" from the modern emo rock band 30 Seconds to Mars, combining strong vocals with an easy onstage presence. But for his second number, James came back with something completely different (as usual), the emotional, yet explosive ballad "Without You," from Harry Nilsson. (Read more)

FEARSOME FOURSOME

Today, only four contestants remain after last night's elimination round of American Idol, and, yes, James Durbin is one of them. He and fellow survivor Scotty McCreery continue to be the only two competitors who have never been in the bottom after a round of voting. The surprise last night was not who went home, but who else ended up hanging by a thread in the penalty box. (Read more.)

Next week, it's down to the Final Three. Go, James! And stay tuned...

SCFF: TAKE TEN

Ten years in the making! Believe it or not, the Santa Cruz Film Festival celebrates its 10th anniversary this year, May 5 - May 14, with a typically full slate of cinematic goodies: 100 films and videos, of local and international origin—shorts and features, documentaries and narrative fiction, animation and live-action, commercial and experimental—along with film panels, gala receptions and other special events, presented at five venues around town.

This year's feature films are offered in a variety of sub-genres, including Cine Latino (films about the Latino experience worldwide), and, once again, a slate of eco-environmental documentaries presented in partnership with EarthVision. As in past years, cash awards will be offered in three juried competition categories: Documentary, Narrative, and the EarthVision Environmental Documentary. New this year is a competition for the Spirit of Action Prize, to be awarded to an outstanding film about a person or organization advocating for change. (Read more, and find out about half a dozen SCFF films you won't want to miss!)

COMFORT ZONES

Yo, yo, yo, Randy Jackson said it, not me. Last night on American Idol, the veteran judge told James Durbin, "I think you just might win this whole thing!," after James' sylish, inventive rendition of the old Ronettes tune, "Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow?" It was Carole King Night, and while everyone else in the Final 6 were trying to step it up a notch and move out of their comfort zones, James proved once again that he doesn't have just one comfort zone—he's comfortable anywhere, all tempos, all musical genres.

The King songbook includes not only her solo work, but a decade of hit songs written for early Motown artists like The Shirells and The Drifters. James sang the first verse of "Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow" a capella, just himself onstage, holding his guitar. The rhythm section kicked in on the second verse, and he shepherded the ballad through a steady, relaxed uptempo build over some marvelous high notes to a thrilling conclusion—all without breaking a sweat. No flaming pianos, no marching bands; this week it was all about his voice. But you know what? It's always been about James' voice. (Read more and watch the video!)

Now it's up to the American voting public. Will they still love James tomorrow? Stay tuned...

NOW THEY ARE SIX

Needless to say, James Durbin did not spend a single uneasy nanosecond in the penalty box on Thursday night's elimination round of American Idol, waiting to hear how America voted. It should come as no surprise to anyone who saw his performance of Muse's apocalyptic anthem, "Uprising," the night before—sung in a black leather steampunk duster, complete with marching band drum corps—that the minute James was asked to step out and hear the verdict, he was pronounced "safe" to sing another week. The odds in his favor are soaring as high as one of James' own high notes, now that there are only six contestants left. (Read more)

Btw, did I ever tell you about the time I saw Muse live (and how!) onstage? Yes, I know I mentioned it in passing last post, but I mean the whole story. I call it, "I Was a Teenage Geezer." It was all the fault of our pal, Lia Matera, who, a few years back, started burning us CD samplers of her favorite new alt rock bands.

Thanks to Lia, Art Boy and I are crazy for Brit rockers, Muse. Our favorite thing is to putter around the kitchen at the end of the workday with the Absolution CD cranked up to 11. So when Lia emailed one morning back in 2007 that she’d just bought us all online tickets to see Muse live in San Francisco at the Bill Graham Civic, even a pair of notorious homebodies like us were thrilled. Still, she almost talked Art Boy out of going, with visions of a giant mosh pit of sweating, drunken 20-year-olds flailing away while monster speakers splintered our eardrums. (Earplugs required, she told us.)

Since I hadn’t been to a rock concert in longer than anyone in Muse has been alive, I asked if they’d rope us off in the geriatric section, so as not to frighten The Youth.

“We will be completely invisible to them!” Lia promised me. “People our age are blank spaces between pheromones. We might as well put on invisibility cloaks.” (Click here for the whole sordid tale.)

I only bring this up because Muse is set to headline the gigantic outdoor music festival Outside Lands in Golden Gate Park, SF, this summer, August 12-14. Here's the info. Get in line now, says I.

YOWZA

The James Durbin show just keeps rockin' along on American Idol. Last week he was the closer, and brought down the house with his raucous "Heavy Metal." In this week's random shuffle, he was the evening's second performer on Music of the New Millennium night; typically, he brought the show to a premature climax with his powerhouse delivery of the anthem, "Uprising" by Muse.

I love Muse. I've seen them live onstage, and I can tell you, covering one of their songs is not for the fainthearted. "Uprising" is probably one of their best known numbers, played incessantly on TV a couple of years ago as the driving theme song for the sci-fi series "V." But as usual, James put his own stamp on the number.

First, there was the production: he marched out of the wings with a corps of marching band drummers who circled the stage, pounding out the beat, while James sang. Then there was the performance itself. James sang the busy lyrics with power and clarity, but while the song builds in intensity, it doesn't afford the opportunity to hit those high wailing notes that he loves. Undaunted, he created his own drama by singing two of four lines in the final chorus an octave higher. ("They will stop degrading us!") In a word: yowza. (Read more)

ROCK ON

Justice was served on American Idol last night. James Durbin survives to sing another day after his raucous performance of "Heavy Metal" with the wild guitar of legendary axeman Zakk Wylde the night before, which makes James one of the few remaining contestants who has never ended up in the bottom three after a round of voting.

However, the Curse of the X Chromosome was finally broken; for the first time since the field was narrowed down to the Final 13, a man, not a woman, was sent home. That would be Paul McDonald, and I have to say, I think it was a good call. Not that Paul isn't adorable in his own oddball way: that big grin, those goofy little dance steps. But we're moving into the big leagues now, and a contestant has to back up a pleasing personality with something more than Paul's raspy, somewhat limited voice.

I actually thought his good-timey version of Bob Seger's "Old-Time Rock 'n' Roll" on Movie Song night this week was one of his better efforts, but perhaps the voting was cumulative. Who can forget his failing to hit any of the high notes on two Elton John songs in weeks past, "I Guess That's Why They Call It The Blues," and "Rocket Man?"

Not every single contestant has to be a throbbing power singer. Look at Casey Abrams, or Haley Reinhart. (Who, btw, gave the best out-of-competition performance last night, a jazzy scat duet of "Moanin'" that was way more fun than anything served up by guest performers Kelly Clarkson or Rhianna, let alone their fellow competitors.) But Idol contestants hoping to turn pro have to at least know what their strengths are and play up to them, not consistently choose material that's just out of their reach.

In the penalty box with Paul last night were perennial also-ran, Stefano Langone, and (surprise!) Haley. Stefano has the opposite problem from Paul; he knows exactly what's right for his voice—big, emotional ballads—but he just keeps singing them over and over again. He needs to change it up, do something a little more daring or at least different (maybe something, you know, jaunty) once in awhile, to show he has range.

With the possible exception of Casey, who's not afraid to try all kinds of weird stuff onstage, you can't imagine anyone else in the Final 7 stepping out of their comfort zone to the degree that James does—a sensitive ballad one week, heavy metal the next, with the chops to nail it every time. Which may be the edge that takes James all the way. Stay tuned...

KISS & TELL

A funny thing happened to former Santa Cruz Sentinel columnist Claudia Sternbach when she was making the dreary rounds of agents trying to get her novel published. Just for fun, she started writing short-story snippets of memoir, snapshots from her own life very loosely grouped around a common thread: each story contained a kiss. With no thought of publication or "the marketplace," she delved into every aspect of her life's experience: comedy, tragedy, pain, laughter, and every gradation in between. Imagine her surprise when the first publisher she showed it to offered her a book contract.

The result is "Reading Lips: A Memoir of Kisses" (Unbridled Books, 224 pages, $12.95), a slim volume that builds gracefully in both chronology and impact, from childhood whimsy to complex emotional maturity. It's a wonderful book, full of insight, humor and honesty. Find out for yourself when Claudia reads from and signs copies of her book Thursday (April 14) at the Capitola Book Cafe, 7:30 p.m. (Read more)

JAMES DURBIN UPDATE

The good news is, James Durbin survived another elimination round last Thursday night. He'll be back on American Idol this week, singing up a storm.

The weird news is the one who won't: Pia. Yes, incredibly, Pia Toscano, the gorgeous diva with the huge voice, that most consistent competitor, the one contestant out of all of them who I'd have thought mainstream America (ie: the voting public) totally gets, Pia didn't make the cut. Nobody could believe it. The studio audience booed strenuously. The judges were ready to mutiny. How could this happen? (Read more)

RETURN OF THE MIGHTY

Accept no substitutes! KING KONG is back, and the Aptos Cinema's Weekend Classics series has got him. The mighty giant ape created by the great stop-motion animation pioneer Willis O'Brien is still "the 8th wonder of the world" in this original, visionary 1933 fantasy masterpiece. As if the poignant, wonderfully expressive Kong himself wasn't splendid enough, the movie is also rich in delicious '30s tough-guy dialogue, especially when Robert Armstrong, as the flamboyant American showman who discovers Kong on a tropical island during a film shoot, captures him, and ships him back to NYC to exhibit on Broadway.

("Say, what's this show about, anyway?" wonders a sassy young woman in the audience on opening night, before the curtain goes up.

"It's just a big ape," says a man nearby.

"Aw, ain't we got enough of those in New York?" cracks the dame.)

Then there's the provocative, pre-Hays Code, tran-species eroticism of Kong's fascination with platinum blonde movie starlet Fay Wray. it's all a grand, often funny, surprisingly moving and soulful adventure, that's still light years ahead of the sequels, remakes, and ripoffs that followed. Don't miss this chance to see it in all it's beautiful, haunting, black-and-white glory on a great big movie screen, this Saturday and Sunday only, April 9 & 10, 11 am, at Aptos Cinema. Trust me, you won't regret it.

And speaking of really big shows, are you watching American Idol yet? Last night was Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame night, and while everybody else was rocking out all over the stage to Elvis, Aretha, and Tina Turner, Santa Cruz's own James Durbin made the gutsy move to sit on a stool and croon "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" with power and restraint.

Read all about it in my new Good Times online blog (and watch the video!) or scroll down to my recent post, The King James Version, for the story so far.

THE KING JAMES VERSION

Okay, I admit it. For years, American Idol has been my go-to scapegoat for everything that's wrong with American culture. As real reality becomes more scary and out-of-control, as my rant usually goes, we the people start lapping up the alternative, faux-"reality" of TV competition shows. It's the bread and circuses of the electronic age, with which the corporate powers that increasing run the country mean to keep us too enthralled and distracted to notice as they run riot overseas waging war-for-profit, while eroding our civil liberties here at home, scamming us out of our life savings, and shipping our jobs offshore.

Well, come to think of it, it's all true. But that hasn't stopped me from getting as hooked as anyone on the meteoric rise of local boy James Durbin on this season of Idol. I was first alerted to the brewing Durbin story by Wallace Baine, who wrote this excellent Sentinel piece on James a few weeks ago. He and I and Bruce Bratton met for coffee one morning back in February, to plan a discussion we were co-hosting at the Nickelodeon, and all Wallace could talk about was this local kid with the big voice who was knocking 'em dead in the early rounds of Idol auditions.

A youthful loner, troubled by both Tourette's (a physical, not verbal variety), and Asperger's syndromes, James found an expressive outlet in music, via Kids on Broadway and All About Theatre, starring in local productions of Beauty and the Beast and Singin' In the Rain. A fortuitous meeting with Dale Ockerman of the White Album Ensemble introduced James to rock 'n' roll, and, mama, could that boy ever boogie-woogie. And yet, Wallace pointed out, as a frequent guest singer at WAE gigs, it was James' rendition of the aching ballad, "While My Guitar Gently Weeps," that brought the house spontaneously to its feet, cheering, every time.

(James performs with the White Album Ensemble, January, 2009.)

So Art Boy and I decided to check it out. We'd just watch one episode and see what all the fuss was about. It turned out to be the Las Vegas episode, where some 20 semi-finalists performed Beatle songs under the big top at Cirque de Soleil's "Love" production. So our first glimpse of James was him singing a duet with Stefano on "Get Back," perfectly fine but not earth-shaking. We thought we should at least hear him sing solo, so we tuned in next week, and have been watching ever since.

James is establishing himself as the show's top rockster. When other contestants croon ballads, he sings Judas Priest. On Motown night, he opted for Stevie Wonder's gritty, relentlessly driving "Living in the City." When he chose an uptempo, late-model Bon Jovi number on the night they had to pick a song released the year they were born (in James' case, 1989), judge Steven Tyler playfully cautioned him "don't get too poppy!"

So it was a big shock to everyone on the night that each contestant had to sing a song by his or her personal musical hero, and James chose ... Paul McCartney? James, the rocker, the man who had the nerve to audition with the Aerosmith epic, "Dream On," in front of Steven Tyler, and his hero is Paul McCartney?

Oh, yeah. Because he delivered a performance of the slowly building, cumulatively powerful "Maybe I'm Amazed" that was truly cause for amazement. He sang it like he got it, caressed every note, found the source of the song's pulsing power, yet finessed that sweet finish like a pro. In a word, yowza. He did Sir Paul proud, all right, but at the same time made the song radically, indisputably James. Before, I was just curious. Now I'm a fan. Here it is, if you missed it.

Last week was Elton John night. With such an incredible catalogue to choose from, I was hoping for something massive from James, maybe "Burn Down the Mission," or maybe the propulsive "Empty Sky" (go find it on iTunes right this minute!) from John's first British album (bootlegged in this country after his self-titled US debut album). In a way, James opted for something much simpler, the straight-ahead rocker, "Saturday Night's All Right For Fighting." But what a performance! He started out up in the bleachers behind the stage, marched down the stairs, prowled all the way around the apron behind the judges' table greeting the fans, circled back up onstage, leaped on top of the bright red piano, and off again just before it burst into flames, and wound up on his knees, limbo-ed all the way backwards. Singing all the way.

Okay, any idiot can light a piano on fire and prance around onstage like Aldous Snow. It would all be so much empty posturing if that boy didn't have the pipes to back it up, but, boy, does he ever. James can carry off all the schtick without ever missing a note, a beat, or a wail of pure adrenalin. He's the real deal.

They're down to the final nine contestants on Idol now. It broke my heart last week to see may second favorite get booted off, Naimi Adedapo. (Shut up! I loved her reggae version of "I'm Still Standing," which is practically a reggae song already if you listen to the beat.) She has a great look, and if her song choices weren't always great, she delivered them with a lot of punch and savvy. I'll miss her. Her song last week was way better than Paul McDonald's undernourished, attempted "Rocket Man." Paul seems like a nice, affable guy, and America loves his goofy little dance steps, but he is so NOT a rocket man. If James had sung "Rocket Man," the whole studio would have gone into orbit.

It's starting to look like James' most serious competition will come from Pia Toscano. I like her, but basically what she does every week is stand in the middle of the stage in an evening gown and unleash that gigantic diva voice of hers. Seems like she'll have to do more to compete with James' versatility and showmanship. But I don't even really care about the competition. I'll be tuning back in every week just to see what James does next. (Hey, I'm still holding out for "While My Guitar Gently Weeps.")