Whispery hobo troubadour Paul McDonald was sent home from “American Idol” last night, and here at Metro we’re of mixed feelings about this development. We sincerely appreciated the way Paul never tried to fit himself into the “Idol” mold and we definitely enjoyed his shambling prancy-dancing. (That is how we always imagined we would dance were we placed upon the “Idol” stage.) But his barrel of affectations proved increasingly wearying over the course of a season, especially when we noticed how much the musical arrangements had to be bent to hide his lack of range.
So in honor of Paul’s, let’s say “unique” stage presence, let’s count down his five creepiest moments on “American Idol” this season.
5. Getting all up in Kendra Chantelle’s grill on “Blackbird”:
4. The weird, quasi-religious bowing at the end of “Maggie May”:
3. Smiling through all the murder-y parts of “Folsom Prison Blues”:
2. An even worse stare-and-bow combo at the end of “Come Pick Me Up”:
1: The whispery last word of “Rocket Man”:
If there’s anything we’ve learned here, it’s that Paul really should have rethought how he ended his songs. At least he still has his band!
