John Rich didn’t show much brotherly love to Siouxland’s Shawn Mayer Monday night — he said he thinks she’ll go home soon — but that’s nothing that surprises her.

Last week I talked to Shawn and she said they’ve butted heads from the beginning. They had a long talk, too, and reached an impasse — of sorts.  “We’re a lot alike,” she admitted. Friday, we’ll have excerpts from the interview in the blog and a story in the A&E section.

Meanwhile, she’s safe for another week.

I think the cowboy Gabe has the best shot of making it in the end but the soldier could be marching back to his ship next week. Coffey was weak, too. But Melissa, the Wynonna-like singer, got even better.

Shawn did a cover of “Breathe” and got a good response but Rich dug into her after “Forever and Ever, Amen.” It sounded fine from here, but I think he’s just pressing a button.

Monday, you could also see a set of dog tags wrapped around her wrist. She explains what they’re all about, too, Friday.

Does that sound like a shameless plug? It’s meant to be.

Click here to hear the entire interview.

 

 A talk with Shawn Mayer [25:20m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Walking to the Tyson Events Center Sunday night I swore I saw Taylor Swift three times. I didn’t, of course. She was probably in some air-conditioned bus or lounging with a plate of chocolates backstage. But many of the teenage fans have duplicated her style so closely the confusion was warranted.
Big blonde hair? Check. Flowy, baby doll dress? Check. Cowboy boots? Check.
It was quite the sight to see. Inside, the real thing had ‘em trumped — Taylor also had a guitar covered in rhinestones. (”Mom, can I have a rhinestone guitar?”)
Impressed with the full house, Swift thank the crowd profusely (a sign of good breeding — mom must have been a stickler for thank you notes) and told them she didn’t take their support lightly (she’s not a fly-by-night friend — the kind who knows you one day, then blows you off the next) and was more than willing to give former Sioux Cityan Grant Mickelson, her guitarist, plenty of spotlight attention (gracious hostess).
Her fans, meanwhile, were so busy texting their friends I swear it was like being at a stenographers’ convention. The lights from their cellphones made the Tyson look like it was invaded by fireflies.
And T-shirt sales? They must have been through the roof. These kids didn’t buy just one apiece. Some had several. Savvy businesswoman that she is, Swift had them available in SEVERAL colors. None of them, however, featured empire waistlines or rhinestones.
Oh, well. That’s always something to think about for the next tour.

OK, if you haven’t learned everything about Taylor Swift, check out our interview with the 18-year-old superstar. She talked about that big first year, the second album and what lies ahead.
An acting career? It’s entirely possible. She’s in the next “Hannah Montana” film as, get this, herself.

Click here for the interview.

 

 Interview with Taylor Swift [16:18m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

I saw the premiere of “The Battle for Whiteclay” at the Orpheum Theatre Wednesday night and wondered why it wasn’t snapped up as the centerpiece for Tolerance Week. The documentary — about the Native American battle to close four liquor stores in Whiteclay, Neb. — is just ripe for such a showcase.

The film, which features local activist Frank La Mere (who’s a compelling speaker in just about every venue), should be acquired for one of PBS’ many documentary series. It has inherent drama and a fascinating storyline.

At the Pine Ridge, S.D., Indian Reservation, alcohol sales are banned. The reason? Officials want to curb alcoholism rates. A mile or two away, however, four Whiteclay liquor stores are reaping big profits while the death toll mounts. To combat the problem, a group of tribal leaders asked the state to do something about the stores. Some folks appear sympathetic, but nobody gives an acceptable answer in Mark Vasina’s film.

The movie is compelling — even though some of the meeting scenes could be edited.

Some moments are difficult to watch. Others are truly frustrating. But the upshot is clear. Something needs to be done. People have suggested a solution and few want to take it.

If there’s another opportunity to see the film, do. You’ll be surprised that this kind of problem exists so very close to home.

The Abercrombie and Fitch boy was culled from the herd. But, hey, the kid wasn’t too bad, considering he couldn’t hit a note the week before. Still, look for Justin Gaston to turn up on a Disney Channel movie. He’s ripe for something with the Cheetah Girls.

That said, the rest of the bunch started resembling other, more established artists. This week (Pop Goes Country Week…which should have been reversed: Country Goes Pop) we got glimpses of Wynonna, Martina, Sara, Taylor, the Dixie Chicks, Tracy Byrd, Neal McCoy and the Wreckers. The soldier? I don’t know what he was doing. Justifiably, he was in the bottom two. I predict he’ll go home unless he sings “God Bless the U.S.A.”

Siouxland’s Shawn Mayer wore a lot of sparkles and shook when they started naming names. She did a passable “Bye, Bye, Bye,” but she really needs to do something that’s a little less unique and more recognizable as country, not rock-country. She did a great piece of choreography but she’s got to stop the runs…even the “Idol” folks say they’re passe. Still, she’s head and shoulders above most of the acts and should hang in for a few more weeks unless she continues to act like she’s auditioning for “Days of Our Lives.”

Melissa, the Wynonna wannabe, did a great job with her “True Colors” redo. Gabe the cowboy was fairly decent, too.

But who’s dressing these kids? Too much bling. Too many tight clothes.

I figured out, too, who Billy Ray Cyrus is imitating — President Bush. When he reads the cue cards, he sounds like George W. at a news conference. Listen and see if you don’t agree.

Pop Goes Country Week is a dumb idea — particularly this early in the game. But it did open the door to some Pussycat Dolls dancers. Where did they come from?

And can they come back next week?

Even with them, the show is an hour too long.

Have you seen this thing? It’s a great display of the two kid actors’ ability to bring it once more.

Just as phony as “The Hills,” “The Two Coreys” builds much of its tension on some event several decades ago. One Corey apparently didn’t keep the other Corey from being molested by some older man. But then, the other Corey was dealing with his own molestation issues. So now, in middle age, they question whether it’s “I’ve got your back” time. They have some big summit meeting at a deli (Corey Feldman wants to be incognito, but, hey, there are cameras filming this thing) and  start hashing things out. It’s like Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis meeting.

Corey Haim, in fact, would be a great Jerry Lewis if they ever decide to do his life story. All he needs is a lozenge and a band to play “You’ll Never Walk Alone.”

Best of all, the two show they’re pretty good at improvisation. They’ve got “Lost Boys 2″ (no kidding) to finish and lives to lead.  So they agree to go to counseling and talk.

This could get good. Now, it just needs a visit from Bret Michaels and the Pussycat Dolls.

Can “Celebrity Rehab” be just around the corner?

Boy, those daytime Emmy folks sure know how to party. The booze was flowing pretty freely Friday night when they handed out more hardware than Ace.

“The View” got skunked again (by Rachael Ray) for best talk show. Tyra Banks won (in some oddball category change) and told everyone to kiss her ass (hmmm….nice) and Jeanne Cooper, Corbin Bernsen’s mom and Mrs. Chancellor on “Young and Restless” finally got Best Actress.

Naturally, some frequent fliers turned up. “General Hospital” won Best Soap, Anthony Geary got yet another Best Actor Emmy and Michael Landon’s daughter collected her fourth trophy for Best Younger Actress. Shouldn’t she be moving out of that category pretty soon? How long do you get to be younger?

The fun thing to watch is how seriously the participants take this stuff. Some of the actors actually think their scenery-chewing is deserving.

Luckily, Ellen DeGeneres won the Best Talk Show Host prize, sending yet another message to the gals of “The View.” Until they stop talking over each other, the four will never been seen as contenders. Watch and you’ll see. It drives you crazy when they don’t let their fellow hosts speak. Alone.

In earlier ceremonies, Giada DeLaurentiis picked up a couple of statuettes, which should tell you something about the Emmy folks. If you’ve got Giada in the hunt, don’t put her category on some other dank night. She’s prime for prime time…and one we’d like to see.

Truthfully, I don’t think I’ll make through the entire season of “Nashville Star.”

Some performers are so painfully bad they wouldn’t make the “let’s make fun of ‘em” round of “American Idol.”

Justin Gaston, the kid who could be an Abercrombie and Fitch model, is so bad you wonder if someone isn’t playing a horrible joke on America. Yeah, he’s cute. But that voice? Come on. He wouldn’t have made the finals of a county talent show even if dad had been one of the judges.

Third Town, the act that got dumped, deserved to go but the trio wasn’t worse than a handful of others.

I was shocked, in fact, that it took so long for Siouxland’s Shawn Mayer to get the word that she was safe. Good grief, even the soldier got the word before she did. She did a George Jones song and got some harsh words from John Rich (her biggest detractor) for treading on hallowed ground. I thought she was fine — she just needs to work on her clothing. The dress was inappropriate for a song like that and the earrings looked like heat registers.  Clearly, she’s one of the top five. I think they’re playing with her just to make it seem like everyone has a chance. Trust me, they don’t.

Sadly, Billy Ray Cyrus keeps getting worse. He repeated Rich’s comments as if they were his own and had trouble reading the Teleprompter. His pants were pretty tight, too, but, hey, that’s what got him this far.

The show has to cut the shameless plugs (Jewel has a new CD — did you know?) and the positive reinforcement. Some of these kids should be leveled.

Do me a favor — vote for Shawn in record numbers so we don’t have to watch beyond the first 15 minutes. “Nashville Star” is a painful exercise this year.

Going home: Justin Gaston, the missing Jonas brother.

Shawn’s number 1-866-978-2708.

Rondi Reed, a winner Sunday night at the Tony Awards for “August: Osage County,” told me last week she had a close encounter with Siouxland  several years ago. She was researching a role in “Fearless” (based loosely on the crash of United Airlines Flight 232) and called the Sioux City Journal for background. “So I have a soft spot in my heart for Sioux City,” she said. Now, she’s a Tony winner.

The show was pretty entertaining, too, although it didn’t need a “Lion King” revival (it won a decade ago) and the folks from “Rent” didn’t look that, um, excited to be there. But they did sing well.

Patti LuPone took an aggressive approach to winning and Liza Minnelli looked like a drag version of herself.

Whoopi Goldberg was a great and appreciative host (her spoofs of shows were fun). And if you looked closely, you may have seen some Sioux City folks. The Orpheum Theatre Society took a group to the event this week.

“In the Heights” and “August: Osage County” were deserving winners. And Rondi? She’s our own special link.

Saturday night I tap danced on the Orpheum Theatre stage. Yeah, I was bad…but I knew I would be.

I grew up on a reservation. We didn’t tap dance. We went to powwows.

Still I’ve always harbored a dream that I could one day put one foot in front of the other and do it in time to music. HA! F0r the last two years I’ve taken tap dance lessons in the winter to keep from looking like Jabba the Hutt. Last year, I did the recital and vowed never again.

This year? I thought I had a good out. I had surgery in February (two organs and a hernia) and I figured there was no way I’d make it. (I was right, but I digress.) Tracy Bennett, the “adult tap class” teacher, thought I could catch up with a little help.  Since Joanne Fox, my esteemed colleague and fellow complainer, had also missed class (she was in “Oklahoma,” a better excuse) I thought we could catch up together.

So, instead of eating lunch at noon, we took remedial lessons. After sweating for a couple of weeks like Whitney Houston, I figured I could go back in. Well, let’s just say there was no way I was ready to be with the others. For starters, I can’t turn and dance at the same time. And, if Tracy has a “signature” move, a la Fosse, it’s turning. She has kids turning so much they’re like tops. If you’re old like me, the hips don’t always go where you want them.

Still, I pressed on. She thought I could do it and, then, Saturday came. God bless Mike, Bonnie, Jean, Laura, Cathy, Mike, Diane and Joanne (yup, even Joanne) for blindly agreeing to be on the same stage as me. I can only assume they figured if I was there, any one of them wouldn’t be the worst one on stage.

I was hoping someone would make an announcement beforehand: “Please remember, Bruce had two organs yanked and Joanne was in ‘Oklahoma.’” But, no such luck.

Still, I had the best costume. We were supposed to look like working people because we were doing a number from “Tap Dogs,” an Australian tap dance show featuring really rugged guys building a scaffold (you see?). I was dressed as a UPS man and, as Billy Crystal used to say, “I looked mahvelous.”

A costume, though, doesn’t dance for you. So we rehearsed. And rehearsed. And Laura told me the secret steps. And Jean coached me. Mike showed me. Diane clunked me on the head with a hammer and, still, I was the tap dog who should have been euthanized.

We got through it, though, without falling down. I felt OK. And then Hess, the king of dancers in Siouxland, told us he thought it went pretty good. “It sounded good,” he said, which I’m going to take as praise (yeah, sure) even though I know better.

Tonight, I put the tap shoes away. But I figure I’ll pull them out someday before fall.

I really want to learn that number.