– Tonight, auditions were from Portland, OR. These audition spots that are a little off the beaten path are great – the talent may not be as good but the characters and stories are superior.

– Another great Randy-ism – when Jackson calls women, “dude.” He also made a Steven-like inappropriate comment to a contestant this episode. Didn’t think he had it in him. Still didn’t need the censor though, like Tyler did twice.

– Loved when one contestant asked JLO how she handles her entertainment gigs while tending to her children. Those are the moments that stripped the diva perception of JLO last season. Coming off this divorce from Marc Anthony, she needs more of those moments.

– For auditions being in Portland, I felt there were an inordinate amount of east coast people – New York, Philly, Maryland…

Contestants
– Found it interesting that the first contestant, Brittany Zika, was a social media tech. “Idol” basically forces people to cease all social media activities and even allow the show to oversee certain accounts. If Zika makes it through Hollywood, she could be put in a position where she would have to give up her job. Nonetheless, I liked her voice – and her story about singing “Gravity” on stage with Sara Bareilles. Sara told me once that she wrote that song about her “douchebag” ex-boyfriend.
– Jermaine Jones was good but he falls in to that Ruben Studdard/Jacob Lusk lane. Even if he goes far in the competition, he’ll struggle to make it just as a singer with a record deal.
– Great story behind Britnee Kellogg, didn’t think the voice was as great though.
– I would’ve given fast-food worked David Weed a golden ticket to Hollywood, but what do I know?
– Another great story with refugee Romeo Diahn, but there is no way a reggae singer can last through this competition.
– Props to Naomi Gillies – she’s from Boston AND sang an Aerosmith song in front of Steven Tyler. She did “Cryin” justice.
– In a recurring theme, great story with Brooklyn’s Jessica Phillips acting as the caretaker for her boyfriend after he suffered a stroke last year. Her voice was OK but didn’t blow me away.