SkimIt
As auditions across America continue, Simon Cowell is really under the weather and skips the Kansas City performances, which is the first half of the show.
In his place is Louis Walsh, judge on the British version of this show, who's worked with Simon for 15 years.
But there's only one Simon, and by the time he's back in the second hour, it's good to see his blunt analysis of the singers.
There's truly some "madness" in this episode, a term Cowell coined in the premiere. Here are the night's singers categorized by my personal opinion.
The Good
Vino
This single dad fits the motto "Don't judge a book by its cover," or in his case, "Don't judge a singer by how much of his head is tattooed." Well, Vino has his ENTIRE head tattooed, which shocks Britney.
There's a roughness to his voice as he belts out "Trouble," but one that's very pleasant to the ear.
Tate
This country guy from Missouri sounds like a seasoned veteran when he performs "Anything Goes," getting a long, loud ovation from the crowd. Louis calls it effortless.
Diamond
This 13-year-old is a bit scared before her performance because the girl before her was bawling backstage after not moving on.
Simon is impatient at this point, even telling Diamond not to sing Adele. So she delivers a dynamic, powerful performance of "It's a Man's World," as the audience cheers for her throughout. Simon even claps for her, saying she blew the roof off.
Panda
This exuberant 42-year-old has a lot of energy for someone who just got out of the hospital the day before she performs. She catches the judges' attentions with her charm and her soulful rendition of "Bring It on Home to Me." She's unanimously voted on -- but then is rushed to the hospital when she can't breathe! Hope she's OK -- The episode ends without an update.
Jessica
There's definite pain and vulnerability in this performance of "Nobody Knows," which only comes from someone who's actually been through it -- and she has. Simon says it's his favorite of the night, and LA says she's special.
The "Meh"
Rizzloe
This blond, baby-faced rapper is a young Vanilla Ice, according to Britney. He's a freestyle rapper and gets prompted by LA to rap about the show. His voice is a little too high and it just sounds like he's shouting, without much control. But LA likes his "flow" and calls him brave.
Citizen
This five-man group of 21- to 25-year-olds are a little too put together. They perform a cheesetastic version of "Don't Let Go," complete with corny, choreographed moves. Individually, they sound decent but their harmonizing makes me cringe.
Apparently, I'm on Simon's side because all the other judges love it. Britney says they totally rocked. Simon says it was 10 years outdated and votes no, but is overruled.
Ally
All the judges see a special quality to her, and yes I'll say she had a great voice but her version of "On My Knees" was so overdramatic and borderline boring. Britney sort of alludes to the drama by saying she was theatric. But Simon calls her a future star.
The Madness
CeCe
I can't stop staring at her face because of her "leopard paint" on the side of her forehead. Where did she get that idea and who gave her the paint? She has a lot of attitude and confidence. She gives a puzzling performance of "Unchained Melody," during which Britney tries to subtlety cover her ear. She's asked to do another song and does "Ain't No Other Man."
She sounded all over the place and never got a control of her song. Perhaps if she stopped flipping her hair and walking around -- but all the judges loved her attitude and style. Demi even has a girl crush.
Deangelo
This chatty, over-confident guy who disses Justin Bieber gets on the judges' nerves almost immediately. He actually has a decent tone but, like Demi says, isn't taking this seriously. So when Deangelo turns to the side to start singing a ridiculous version of "With You," all the judges walk off stage!
He and his friend leave the venue without returning his mic -- and that's when things get even crazier. The police are called and Deangelo gets arrested. Even then he doesn't have a care in the world. He was charged with a misdemeanor and released a few hours later.
