While I haven't watched the show (& I likely won't) I did want to put in a plug for Vicci Martinez. She's from the city where I live & is really good (I have 3 of her cd's). Think Melissa Etheridge without the "whoa is me" lyrics & without everything sounding identical & you've got Martinez. Good stuff.

Sad to admit, while I own the 3 cd's (& have for awhile) I've never seen her live.

Besides another reason to like her is she was invited to be on Idol & she refused.

The show she's on aint a whole lot different, just the judges aren't acerbic.

This is cool because she's really good.

Tacoma singer Vicci Martinez advances to final four on "The Voice"

Vicci Martinez’s dog days are over. The Tacoma singer-songwriter advanced to the final group of contestants on the NBC talent show “The Voice” Wednesday night.

CRAIG SAILOR; Staff writer
Published: 06/22/11 8:22 pm | Updated: 06/22/11 8:29 pm

Vicci Martinez’s dog days are over. The Tacoma singer-songwriter advanced to the final group of contestants on the NBC talent show “The Voice” Wednesday night.

She beat out fellow vocalist Nakia to be the last one standing for Team Cee Lo (coached by Cee Lo Green). Contestants were scored using public votes and judges’ points.

Martinez’s Wednesday advancement was the result of her crowd-pleasing rendition of “Dogs Days Are Over” by Florence and the Machine on Tuesday night. In contrast to her usual casual appearance at Tacoma-area performances, she was dressed in a shimmering top and white pants Tuesday. Her hair was done up in what might be described as a bou-hawk (bouffant-mohawk).

"I can’t believe I’m still here,” Martinez said in a post-show interview with The News Tribune. “It’s the biggest honor ever.”

She called the last few months an amazing journey – “from the day I auditioned for this show in Seattle until right now on the Warner Brother’s stage talking to you," she said.

Martinez said she spoke briefly with Green after the show.

“He was so supportive. He said, ‘We’re going to win this thing. We’re going to put on a show that’s nobody’s going to forget’.”

Before the results were announced, host Carson Daly asked Martinez to reflect on her family history. Martinez became emotional as she recounted how her father, now deceased, gave up a career in music to raise his family.

“I wasn’t planning on crying and then I saw my mom in the audience," she said. "My whole body went nuts.”

Afterward she told Daly, “I’m having heart palpitations.”

Martinez said the next few days leading up to Tuesday’s show are “going to be crazy,” including an appearance Friday on “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.”

Martinez’s Tuesday night performance closed the show – a sign that the show’s producers thought she was on top of her game and an indicator of Wednesday’s outcome. Celebrity coach/judge Adam Levine called it the “Coolest performance of the night.” Fellow coach Blake Shelton said, “It’s like somebody put gas on the stage and threw a lit match.”

The other finalists are Javier Colon, Dia Frampton and Beverly McClellan.

Martinez, 26, a Stadium High School grad, performs frequently in the Puget Sound area at festivals, concerts and venues such as Jazzbones. She’s opened for or shared the bill with a variety of well-known artists, such as Sting and BB King.

Martinez was asked to audition for “The Voice” in February and made it through the initial “blind” audition to become one of 32 contestants on four teams coached by Christina Aguilera, Levin, Shelton and Green. The coaches kept their backs to the vocalists during the audition process so as not to be visually influenced.

There are two shows remaining. Martinez and the other three contestants will perform live in the final round (tape-delayed for West Coast broadcast at 9 p.m.), with the ultimate winner announced the following night.

If Martinez wins, she’ll get $100,000 and a recording contract.

i thought these people were supposed to be amateurs.

3 CD's, isn't that bordering on professionalism a little bit?

and no, i have not seen one second of this show.

Vicci is definitely a pro & has been for years. This makes me almost tempted to watch.