American Idol 2013 Auditions Episode 4 Live Recap: Baton Rouge Talent Turns Out

The American Idol 2013 road to the live shows continues tonight as the judges make a stop in Baton Rouge.

After last night’s heavy drama between judges Mariah Carey and Nicki Minaj, here’s to hoping tonight’s focus is going to be on the talent. And actual talent. I think last night also gave us enough bad auditions. So I’ll go ahead and cross my fingers for a drama-lite and talent-heavy night.

I’ll be recapping the show as we go along, so be sure to watch along with us and comment as we go. I’ll be pulling out the contestants that stand out — both good and bad — to me. Let’s get to it.

The Standouts

Megan Miller (shown above). The reigning Miss Baton Rouge is so ready to transition from pageant girl to American Idol contestant that she ditched the hospital for her audition and is scheduled to have surgery right after her audition. So did she make the right choice to jump out of the hospital bed? Her version of “Something’s Got A Hold On Me” was definitely a fantastic way to start the show. Her voice is big and she’s got great presence. She’s a total natural. So yeah, I think her skipping out on the hospital paid off. The judges agreed. She’s off to Hollywood.

Watch Megan Miller’s audition performance of “Something’s Got a Hold On Me.”

Charlie Askew. 17-year-old Charlie is from Little Rock, Arkansas, and says he’s got some social issues but finds an escape in music. I was thinking this audition could go either way — really good or really bad. And when he started singing I was like OK, this is good. Or is it? I was actually confused. Then he started attacking the Freddie Mercury notes of “Breakthrough.” And I was like, OK, that’s good. But then I decided it wasn’t that good. Why is this so confusing? So he starts on Nat King Cole’s “Nature Boy” and it’s pretty good. But mostly in a technical way. I don’t see him connecting with his audience very easily. I’m still on the fence with Charlie. The judges got it, so Charlie gets his golden ticket!

Watch Charlie Askew’s audition performance of ‘Breakthrough’ and ‘Nature Boy’

Maddie Assel. Nominated by her grandmother to audition, she took her spot before the judges and delivered her version of “Oh! Darling.” She’s a good singer but I thought her audition was pretty shouty, and I’m not being snarky, but I think she kind of gave me headache. That being said, I definitely think she should go through. And the judges agreed. She’s off to Hollywood as well.

Paul Jolley. Well Paul’s got the looks down. So the WGWG fans might like him. So let’s hope he plays the guitar. Jokes aside, his audition was fantastic. His voice is big and his tone is clear and crisp. And he’s confident. As Mariah said, it was effortless. He gets four easy yeses and is off to Hollywood.

Dr. Calvin Peters. Because some people want it all, he’s a physician and he’s auditioning for American Idol. I’m not sure how he could do both, but he’s going to have to try. His audition went well. I didn’t love him, but the judges did. The doctor is off to Hollywood.

Dustin Watts. Just call this country guy the singing fireman. His version of Garth Brooks’ “She’s Every Woman” was a nice and sweet. He’s got a great country vibe. There are a lot of country singers this season. Does he stack up? So far, yes. The judges liked him, so he’s in.

Burnell Taylor. This 19-year-old singer pulls out a number from The Color Purple musical and while I have no idea what the song is, he nailed the audition. I guess that’s why he was saved for the last spot of the night. He  has a great tone and control and emotion. The judges absolutely love him. He gets very easy yeses and his golden ticket to Hollywood.

At the end of the night, 34 contestants from Baton Rouge will be heading to Hollywood.

What did you think of the American Idol 2013 Baton Rouge auditions? Who were your favorites?