by Gina Scarpa

 

It was a bit of a lackluster week on American Idol, as the Top 24 took the stage to perform for the first time in front of a live audience and America. Nerves got the best of both the male and female contestants and the judges did not have a lot of positive feedback for them. Last night, 70s rocker Tyler Grady was eliminated as well as Joe Munoz, in somewhat of a surprising twist, as many fans expected Tim Urban to go... including Tim himself! Today, Tyler and Joe spoke to reporters in a press conference call about their experiences on the show and where they're headed next.

 

Q. Gina, RealityWanted: Why do you think America didn't pick up the phone to vote for you?
A. Joe: Honestly, I have no idea. This is such an unpredictable show. You never know what's going to happen. I was keeping my mind clear and not think much about it. I did the best I could.

 

Q. What made you decide to try out for American Idol?
A. Joe: I've been passionate about music since I've been a little kid. It's something I always felt I was good at. The love that I have for music is what drew me into American Idol.

 

Q. We didn't get to see much of you before Top 24. Were you disappointed when you didn't see much of yourself in the first 6 weeks of the show?
A. Joe: I didn't have much control over it and that's just how they handled the show. I wasn't really disappointed. I think I had my moment and well, got eliminated, but I had a blast.

A. Tyler: I don't wanna make any excuses.  Kelly Clarkson and Kris Allen didn't have that much airtime going into the live show so I wouldn't say that that would've affected the results.

 

Q. What made you decide on "You and I Both"?
A. Joe: I just love the song. I think it's a wonderful story to tell and a beautiful story. I really look up to Jason Mraz as a performer. It was the perfect song for me.

 

Q. The judges said they loved your 70s look and then told you to lose it. How did you feel?
A. Tyler: When you're a contestant in that situation and you're getting conflicting views, it's very confusing. At this point, I'm trying to move on from that. I don't have any bitterness from that. I'm gonna go back to Pennsylvania and work with my band. You'll see the same sort of performance that you did on the show. The name of the band is Wailing Waters, so keep an eye out for us.

 

Q. What would you have done differently?
A. Joe: I don't think I would do anything different. I was really comfortable with the decisions I made. I'm pretty happy with what I did and I'm pretty proud of myself.

 

Q. If you had stayed, what would you have sang next week?
A. Tyler: First of all, I would like to say that I've seen that I'm getting some heat in the media about my comment before the show ended and I just wanted to let everyone know that I meant no disrespect. I felt that when I watched the show back on Wednesday, I was too caught up in the moment to stand up for myself. I felt like I was shocked with the criticism and didn't get to express my feelings. I was just expressing myself and I'm not bitter at the judges. If I would've made it through, it would've been due to a fan base that appreciated what I was doing so I probably would've stuck to my guns and performed in the same style I've been performing in. I may have chosen a more recent rock song but you wouldn't have seen me coming out in baggy jeans and wearing a headset microphone. There were a list of songs I had cleared. Two of the songs I was considering were "Baba O'Reilly" by The Who and "Remedy" by The Black Crowes.

 

Q. Tim looked completely shocked at the results. Did you get a chance to talk to him or anyone else before you left?
A. Joe: I got to see Tim right before I left the hotel. He's a really nice guy. I said goodbye to Todrick, he's become one of my best friends on the show.

 

Q. What are you taking away from your Idol experience? Will you change or stick to your guns?
A. Tyler: You do need to stick to your guns as a performer. I am very honest when I'm performing on stage. One thing the show has done is educate me. American Idol is one of the best education programs you can get into. You can't buy into it. You have to audition and it's very difficult to get into. There's no better school for the entertainment industry than American Idol.

 

Q. Where do you see yourself going from here?
A. Joe: I love pop music. I'm just a pop guy so I see myself doing a pop record. There's a lot of artists doing a lot of things right now so I really want to be that kind of artist.

 

 

Be sure to tune in when the Top 10 males take the stage on American Idol, Wednesday night at 8/7c on Fox.

 

(Image courtesy of Fox)

 

Follow Gina at twitter.com/ginascarpa

 

For more American Idol links, visit SirLinksALot.net