Posted on: Thursday, December 30, 2004

SHOW BIZ
'American Idol' was 2004's top phenom

By Wayne Harada
Advertiser Entertainment Writer

LOOKING BACK: Two words sum up the waning Show Biz year: "American Idol."

We showed 'em, didn't we? That we were proud of our two "Idol" Top 10 finalists, Jasmine Trias (No. 3) and Camile Velasco (No. 9).

We watched every Tuesday, then voted; the passion became an obsession; our devotion meant redialing, text-messaging, dutifully watching the Wednesday results with personal kinship and high hopes.

Verizon and Fox TV did not anticipate such fierce dedication; the weekly competition drew more voters than the fall elections here. Perhaps that's why Fox avoided Honolulu for another go-round in 2005; no one anticipated such tireless reaction and enduring support.

So we reflect on 2004 — the good with the bad — and hereby bestow this year's Waynie Awards:

• Star of the Year: Jasmine Trias. Before "Idol," she was mostly a Maryknoll student. Her flower power since has made her a household name, and a superstar in the Philippines (where she has beaucoup endorsement deals, from clothes to burgers to cell phones), and a walk-on star on Fox's "North Shore."

• Male Vocalist of the Year: Keali'i Reichel. His "Ke'alaokamaile" CD widened his appeal on the Mainland ; its year-end No. 5 ranking on Billboard's Top 10 World Artists (the CD was No. 6 in the World Album tally) appears to make him the front-runner in the first-ever Grammy Hawaiian album winner in February.

• Female Vocalist of the Year: Jasmine Trias. OK, she may have been pitchy as the competition ensued, but she did what no other here has done: endure the put-downs from Simon Cowell to finish third. What she does, as her first post-"Idol" venture, will set the tone and timbre of her future: Sizzle or fizzle? Can she sashay into Tamyra Gray and Clay Aiken territory? Better yet, can Hawai'i fans rekindle the support, to bypass Fantasia Barrino's less-than-spectacular CD debut?

• Instrumentalist of the Year: Jake Shimabukuro. Japan tapped him for promotions, Hawai'i banked on his drawing power to woo visitors from Japan to our shores. He got his first nationally charted CD this year. Doesn't he deserve a shot at the Grammys, too? (Not in the Hawaiian category, of course).

• Comedian of the Year: Augie T. He's worked long and hard, to establish his stand-up stance, with the ultimate triumph: A live-at-the-Hawai'i Theatre DVD, that now serves as a revealing calling card.

• Best Hawai'i-based TV Show of the Year: ABC's "Lost" was found, fast and furiously, without the cloying hype or product- or service-placement deals. It's all about the writing and the ensemble acting. Simply, the show makes viewers lust for more.

• Worst Hawai'i-based TV Show: Take your pick. From this nook — "Hawai'i." It had the potential to go places, do things, put Hawai'i back on the map. But the scripts were rife with more pukas than that of SpongeBob Squarepants.

• Best Musical Note: The launch of a Hawaiian Music category in annual Grammy Awards.

• Worst Musical Note: William Hung. Enough, already.

• Best Survivor: Jordan Segundo. He parlayed his 15 minutes of fame from last year's "Idol" competition, issued a single, and a self-titled CD, "Jordan Segundo," is due to be released today. Clearly, he's still got mileage to spare in 2005.

• Best Concert: Lea Salonga's two-nighter at Blaisdell Concert Hall.

• Best Lights: The Hawai'i Theatre's marquee.

• Best Bites: The upscale comfort food, created by chef Kevin Hanney, at 12th Avenue Grill. Like Roy's, without the higher price tag (though Roy's Grandma's Meatloaf could be an unintended inspiration for the menu). Now if only the Kaimuki parking shortage can be resolved.

• Worst Wait for a Meal: The endless lines awaiting an open table at the Cheesecake Factory.

• Best Sights: Still, that priceless view of Diamond Head and the Waikiki skyline — from Orchids, La Mer, or House Without a Key, at the Halekulani Hotel.

• Deja Vu Award: Frank DeLima. First, he "lost" The Noodle Shop. Then the Captain's Table. And, after New Year's Eve, the Palace Showroom of the Ohana Reef Towers Hotel closes.

Is he the kiss of death, or just Mr. Unlucky?

And that's Show Biz...

Wayne Harada is on vacation; this column was written before his departure. Reach him at wharada@honoluluadvertiser.com, 525-8067 or fax 525-8055.