The speed of competition is accelerating and Hawaii-born Thunderstorm Artis continues battling for a chance to get to the winner’s circle on Season 23 of ABC’s “American Idol.”
Audience voting this afternoon will determine which two of the top 14 contestants will be cut at the end of today’s show. The surviving top 12 compete Monday with a second round of live voting sealing the fate of two more contestants. The survivors will become this season’s top 10.
“We’ll be totally live (on Sunday),” Artis said during a quick telephone conversation Friday. “People can only start voting at the top of the show (on Sunday), and then (voting) ends at the end of the show. That’s from 2 p.m. Hawaiian time until around 3:50 p.m. Hawaiian time, so we have to get everyone to vote right at, like, 2 o’clock.”
The theme is Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and guitar aficionados will notice that Artis is playing a Martin Super Dreadnought acoustic guitar — an instrument that has deep roots in rock ’n’ roll, and in Hawaiian music as well.
“I can’t wait to play it on a big stage,” Artis said. Another thing that made the last few days enjoyable for him, he said, was the opportunity to work with this week’s guest mentor, Grammy Award-winning singer- songwriter James Taylor.
“We had a chance to work together years ago, so getting a chance to come back to his presence again was really special. He is so insightful, it was such a beautiful moment,” Artis said. “This man has changed music in so many different ways, and not just the longevity of his career, but his authenticity as well. He is an icon. I think he is a real ‘American Idol.’”
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HOW TO VOTE:
>> Hawaii fans age 16 and older can vote today from 2 p.m. until “around 3:50 p.m.” Hawaii time, at Americanidol.com, via the “American Idol” app and by text message. For those who make the top 12, voting resumes Monday at that same time. The show airs live today on KITV and is scheduled to be rebroadcast at 7 p.m.
>> For text message voting, text the number of your favorite contestant to “21523” (Thunderstorm Artis’ number is 23)
>> Up to 10 votes can be cast in each of the three voting methods for a total of up to 30 votes a show.
>> Find performance videos and more at ABC.com/Shows/American-Idol.
