Thursday, April 30, 2009

Matt Giraud: “I never came in wanting to be the American Idol”

How was that for a headline?

Yes, that’s exactly what Matt Giraud told reporters during his media conference call today…

“I never came in wanting to be the American Idol. My dream was to play piano on that stage.” I’m honestly not sure what he said immediately after that because I was so surprised he would actually admit that to us. Matt later added, “I’m not kicking myself for not winning. All hope is not lost.”

Matt also made another interesting comment that I think may have been a slam at Adam Lambert. When a reporter asked him about who helped with the arrangements, Matt said, “A lot of the arrangements have been done before and they’re not really well known and people get a lot of credit for them.” Hmmm…

But I have to say that Matt still doesn’t get it, telling reporters several times that he’d like to do rock music along the lines of “The Fray”…

Here’s a sample of some of the other things Matt had to say today…

On Simon loving his performance Tuesday, while Kara and Randy didn’t: “Kara’s usually on my side. But [having Simon say I was brilliant] was a great way to go out.”

On whether he knew he was going home when he and Adam ended up in the bottom two: “I wasn’t for sure. I was ready for it and I was preparing what to say.”

On what he was thinking during his final performance: “I was at complete peace with myself because I went out doing what I loved to do with jazz week.”

On the judges’ save: “It’s a great thing. I don’t think it’s a waste of time at all.” Matt said the save helps contestants the judges see something in, adding, “The judges didn’t pick me for my looks…”

On Adam being in the bottom two: “Definitely surprised that Adam was down there with me. [Kris and I] kind of played with him backstage, ‘why didn’t you pick us [as the top group]?’…Matt later said that Adam didn’t like his performance…

On the biggest challenge of the show: “Song choice. Picking a song that you sing well is the harder part…I’m gonna still keep doing the music that moves me.”

On the music he’d like to do: “I’d actually like to get more into the rock—soulful rock. I’d love to see myself playing the piano with a band around me.”

On whether the judges’ comments affected his song choices: “A little bit. I still picked the songs if they moved me. At the end of the day, I’m not gonna change who I am.”

On why he didn’t play the piano more: “The piano doesn’t really help you on the show. It’s more of a prop.”

On what he would have done if he had to choose a twosome like Adam did Wednesday night: “I would’ve pulled an Archuleta and just sat down.”

His favorite performance: “Part-Time Lover”

His most memorable Mansion moment: Dueling pianos with Scott

His message to my fans: “Thank you very much for helping me to believe in myself and thank you for believing in me.”

On why he didn’t do “Georgia On My Mind” during movie week: “It had to be a song written for a movie. But I did think about it.”

On what he will take away from the show: “I believe in myself more than ever, [I know] what I’m best at and what my weaknesses are, and [I can] deal with the pressure. The bad comments roll off me more than ever.”

On what happened after the results show: “It was kind of an emotional night, but I think I handled it well.”

His song choice for next week: “Simple Man” by Lynyrd Skynyrd. He was going to do a bluesy version with the piano.

On being saved: “Can’t wait to see my name on a trivia card. Being saved, I’ve never felt that much love in one room. It’s one of the greatest moments in my life.” Matt said a security guard told him he’d never heard the room get that loud.

On how he’s changed: “I haven’t changed at all personally. The only thing that has changed is my surroundings.”

On what he would have done differently this week: “I still think it was my week. I wouldn’t really change a thing.”

On the mentors: “Jamie Foxx was one of the most helpful…but Smokey Robinson was the most influential.”

On who is going to win: “I was joking today, I think they’re going to be bringing me back. I have no idea. I endorse all of them…At this point, it’s more popularity than talent, of course. Whoever can rub America the right way”…

Photo Credit: Frank Micelotta/FOX