okie dokie… we’re down to eight gals and we’re going to get rid of two more tonight… i’m going to pick the two that will leave right now, before they perform and they are… (drumroll)… Lacey and Siobhan… alright… now we’ll see how they actually perform… it’s going to be a tight schedule if they plan on getting all eight in one hour… and no chit chat from Ryan… off we go…

EIGHT IS MORE THAN ENOUGH

now playing: Ladies Night – Kool & The Gang

Katie Stevens… leading off with a Kelly Clarkson tune… never really a good move… but these silly contestants always insist on doing this… Katie has a much manlier voice than Kelly… and the arrangement is significantly slower than i remember Breakaway, but it’s been a while… yeah, so, not the strongest vocal and a little on the sleepy side for me… Randy says listen, um… the song was a little too big for you… indeed… didn’t work… Ellen, wearing a shirt cut from the lining of a picnic basket, says it was a younger song, but she didn’t really feel it… no personality… Kara says that she has a voice for radio… not a face for radio… she needs to figure out who she is… Simon says that she seems confused because she has taken the advice, but she still doesn’t know who she is… A for effort though…

Siobhan MAGNUS VER MAGNUSON… is singing a surprise song for her dad, the nine-time world’s strongest man champion, House of the Rising Sun by The Animals… what an odd choice for an odd little girl… are these the same guys who sing that Big Bad Wolf song? I love that song… it’s probably someone else… of course, now i haven’t really paid attention to this performance, but it seemed to be alright… she actually had a good vocal this time around… it was kind of creepy, but it worked… i shouldn’t have picked her… Randy says it was a hot one… Ellen name drops the city of New Orleans and says it was really good… Kara says that she really liked the acapella on the front… (and the party in the back?)… Simon gives her a little bit of a smackdown, telling her that it was kind of weird and lacking a moment…

Lacey “The Token Red-haired Gal” Brown… singing The Story, by Brandi Carlile… okay… i’ve never in my life heard of this song… Lacey is sitting off on the side of the stage and singing as if she’s telling us a secret… she’s got those bedroom eyes… and i suppose that it was a pretty good performance, definitely suited her vocal, but it seems slightly boring and a tad bit squeaky there towards the end… overall though it was perfect for her… Randy says he loves the crack in her voice and it was her best… Ellen agrees… Kara agrees – she’s back on her path… Simon says that he didn’t like the song, but she sang it really well… possibly forgettable though…

Katelyn Epperly… singing Carol King’s I Feel the Earth Move… and she’s moved into the 70s as she’s standing and wiggling in front of a keyboard… this is a bad performance… seriously, bad… i don’t even think that keyboard is plugged in… she’s just posing and the vocal really isn’t that good and she’s out of breath and she really did just lose control… what a shame… that was wretched… Randy says, uh… it wasn’t the right vibe… Ellen references her boff last week calling a piano a guitar and says it wasn’t enough… Kara says it felt like she was just going, going, going through the motions… (sorry early 90’s Smitty moment)… LESS CORNY? she went the wrong way… Simon says that he likes her hair… that’s about it… it was like a request night at a local bar…

now playing: Single Ladies – Beyonce

DiDi Benami… oh, a Fleetwood Mac song… that’s a risk… funny how i can sing the lyrics, but not know what the song is called… she’s playing the guitar… the actual guitar… and she’s bathed in pink overhead lights… and they’ve given her the split camera view of The Carpenters or something else from the 70s… Brianna? is that it?… why are all the songs so slow and sleepy tonight?… she did a really good job, but really, i thought she might have passed out before it was over… Randy says it probably wasn’t her best, but it was better than last week… Ellen says yes in-DIDI… then she quotes Chumbawumba… Kara says it was one of her favorite moments of the year… Simon agrees, noting that it was head and shoulders above the rest of the girls tonight…

Paige Miles… singing – did he say Charlie Chaplin? is it a silent performance? no… Smile… she’s skewing Willard Scott old on this one… very subtle background music… it’s pretty much acappella and she’s really not holding it together very well… wonder if the monitor is off… something is really off… and, yes, it’s her vocal… really bad performance – even worse than Katelyn’s… should’ve gone with a silent production… Randy giggles and says that it didn’t work at all it was like they were at a banquet… Ellen says that it didn’t shine at all and it was uninspiring… Kara says you had to know that sucked, right? (in so many words)… Simon repeats that it was horrible and an awful arrangement… a “peanut” performance… she’s not smiling now…

Crystal BoSAWX… ugh, Tracy Chapman… pulEEEZE… give me one reason to not fast forward this crappy song… so, she’s got an electric guitar with an amp onstage and she’s doing a great job with the vocal… it’s still a miseable song, but she has just performed it better than i’ve ever heard it before… that’s the best of the night… Randy says this is what the show is about, it was hot… Ellen asks for a thesaurus, and sticks with amazing… Kara says that it was a great song choice and it was exciting… “yay”… Simon says that she’s definitely going to make it through… she’s got confidence and it’s hers to lose…

Lilly “Tinkerbell” Scott… Patsy Cline? Crazy perhaps? love that song… let’s see… oh… I Fall to Pieces… good song, too… this is apparently the Marilyn Monroe version of it… oh and is that an electric banjo? no, probably just a toy… are we really supposed to believe that they’re playing these instruments?… focus on the vocal though… that’s pretty dang cool… i’m sold on that… i liked it… she’s a weird looking gal though… Randy says that she’s in the zone… Ellen says she loves her… Kara says it was contemporary… Simon says she’s brave, but it didn’t have the wow factor…

AND NOW IT’S TIME TO SAY GOODBYE…

now playing: Home – Michael Buble

now, this is a tough one to call… if it’s based on the performances, then Katie, Katelyn, and Paige are really in trouble… since personality is involved, Lacey is possibly in the mix as well… and Katie is probably safe in that regard… so, against my preliminary picks and going with Katelyn and Paige… what say you, dear readers?…

peace… love… bdg…

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well, it’s the girls turn and the big question is whether or not Krystal Bowersox will be able to compete… chances are if she does, they give her the pimp spot out of pity… and here’s the lineup, BoSAWX is at the end and she says that she’s good to go… the judges… Ellen is in the middle again… it’s a good idea for her not to be the first one to comment… and they address the issue of Kara morphing into Paula and cozying up to Simon this year… she has a huge hair tail today… totally a throwback to Paula’s cheerleading days… on we go…

TEN (OR MAYBE NINE) LEFT STANDING…

now playing: Behind These Hazel Eyes – Kelly Clarkson

Crystal BoSAWX… oh, she’s going first, and she has a twin brother… singing a gospelled up version of CCR’s Long As I Can See the Light… apparently “gospel” means taking the slow train… she’s screaching a little… and i really, really don’t like that lip thing… so distracting… it’s an alright arrangement i suppose, and she does an alright job… i don’t know how much i’ll remember it though… kind of drab over all… Randy says she is the truth, and the girl that she wants to be, and that girl is HOT!… Ellen says that she’s amazing and she needs to say healthy… Kara takes her head off of Simon’s shoulder long enough to say that she’s recovered from last week – even to the point of hitting a new level… Simon likes that she is probably a really serious artist, along the lines of Kelly Clarkson…

Haley “Smiles Too Much”… last week you butchered a Beatles song, this week, you’re taking on a Miley Cyrus song (which is supposed to sound horrible)… good freaking call… actually, this should fit her a lot better… with “The Climb”… oh, it’s a slow song… which means that the vocal is exponentially more important…and unfortunately, though she does have some good moments, they are brief moments and she quickly finds her way to off side of the pitch… she just doesn’t have a strong voice and i can hardly believe that she managed to pick a good artist, but a horrible song… that was a nightmare… Randy says that it was really, really bad… Ellen says that she didn’t seem to connect with the song at all, but she needs to keep smiling… Kara says that people probably like her, but, honey needs at least a year of vocal training… Simon says it was a complete and utter mess…

Lacey “The Token Red-haired Gal” Brown… every season has one girl with unnaturally red hair… this year is Lacey’s turn… and her personality reminds me of Leigh Nash… oh, and she’s singing Sixpence’s Kiss Me… oh my gosh… she sounds like Leigh, too… except when she gets happy enough to smile, that takes her out of the groove… it’s pretty good… i guess my biggest qualm with it is that she kind of alternates between copycatting Leigh’s vocal and just talking through the lyrics… she also seems a little disconnected from it… especially for “loving this song”… Randy says that it felt like karaoke… Ellen says that it was, and she is, adorable… Kara says that it brought back her vocal stylings, but she needs to step it up even more… Simon says that it was marginally better than last week, but it wasn’t artistic or memorable…

now playing: Twistin’ the Night Away – Sam Cooke

Katie Stevens… so, clearly SHE should be singing Kiss Me… instead of… Corrine Bailey Rae… okay, here’s what i really don’t get… THIS IS SO NOT A YOUNGER SONG… i get that CBR is a newer artist and this is a hip choice, but it’s the same style… she does sound a lot better, but it’s still skewing rather old to me… she needs to dive into something like Miley or maybe Duffy… it really opened up nicely though, certainly enough to get her through… and a lot better than last week… Randy said that he thought she can take on something more challenging melodically… Ellen says that it’s still not exactly right for her age… Kara is frustrated and says that Katie needs to be more consistent from the beginning… Simon says she doesn’t seem to know who she wants to be as an artist yet…

DiDi Benami… she looks a lot like that piano playing hippie from a couple years ago… Brooke White… and she’s got the whole jazzy, raspy thing to her voice… let’s see how that translates to Lean on Me… she’s just chillin’ on that stool here, giving the verses a rather sunny disposition… far poppier than the original… lacking in soul… her vocal sounds a bit tinny and maybe even frail… but it’s not too, too bad… i kind of liked the arrangement actually… and she did alright with the performance… Randy says it heightened her imperfections… bad song choice… Ellen says great voice, great presence, wrong song… Kara says it really wasn’t good… karaoke, inconsistent, bad interpretation… but Kara’s still a fan… Simon says something about a cat… it was screechy and genaric… a wasted opportunity… she’s about to explode into tears…

Michelle Delamor… she’s the corporate singer… whatever that means… she teaches kids how to sing and this will be interesting, she’s singing Creed’s With Arms Wide Open… Scott Stapp will be proud, if he’s sober… (sorry, i think he has changed his ways)… i don’t like those gloves… and i really don’t like this arrangement… somehow, with all the dramatic touches and the big runs, it loses all the emotion of the original song… i’m not ashamed to admit that the original gives me goosebumps… vocal is a little off tonight too, that last note really didn’t hit… Randy says it fell flat, but she looks hot… Ellen says she looks fabulous and she almost forgot that it was a rock song and it almost worked, but not quite… Kara waxes on and waxes off (danielson) and says it was her favorite Michelle performance… Simon kind of agrees with Kara… she took a risk and tried to make it her own…

Lilly “Tinkerbell” Scott… she’ll be playing a twelve-string and singing Sam Cooke’s masterpiece, A Change Is Gonna Come… okay, somebody stop her, i’m already done… we’ve heard enough… no no no no no no no no NO NO NO NO… sorry, my fingers just got stuck there for a second… that’s just a bad, bad arrangement of a truly great song… Randy says she’s unique and she worked it out and it was his favorite from the night… Ellen says she’s got “it”… again, the best performance of the night… Kara says she had a rivoting moment… she’s gonna change the game… Simon says it was good, but he wasn’t crazy about it like the others…

now playing: Chain of Fools – Aretha Franklin

Katelyn Epperly… playing the piano and singing Coldplay’s The Scientist… (GREAT song)… she really has a great voice… and she’s tweaked the arrangement a bit, throwing in some extra pauses and breaths here and there… but i kind of like it… i liked the way she dropped down on “this hard”, but i don’t like the huge breath before the last note, which fell a little flat… she’ll learn from that though… Randy says that he liked it even though it was really slow… Ellen pulls a Paula and calls a piano a guitar, then mentions that it was too, too slow… sleepy slow… Kara says she kind of loves her… she needs to figure out who she is to make the most of it… Simon says it was a smart choice, but she can border on being corny when she performs…

Paige Miles… she likes to color… and she’s singing Kelly Clarkson’s Walk Away… Simon is tying his shows or something… it’s so weird to hear people perform such energetic songs with absolutely zero energy… how do you do that?… okay, her vocals just aren’t doing it… she’s probably oversinging, but whatever it is, it’s really grinding on the ears… the song really doesn’t let her open up the vocals though, so maybe that’s part of the problem, she’s overcompensating for the quick pace of the verses… i don’t know… didn’t really work out for me… Randy says he liked it, but it wasn’t the best song choice… Ellen says she loved everything about it… Kara, who wrote this song, says it’s not a song you smile about, but she liked it anyway… Simon says it was the wrong song and she got lost in it, just like last week…

Siobhan MAGNUS VER MAGNUSON… closing out the show with a big old Aretha Franklin song, Think… (wonder how much thought went into that)… this is kind of like a mouse trying to roar loud enough to scare a lion… yeah, it’s definitely like that… she’s got a really strong voice actually, like strong man competition strong, but this is totally the wrong song for her… she’s not got the soul… i loved that high note… but the follow-up was not where it needed to do… i’m really torn on that… great chops, but no real rhythm, great highs, but lots of lows as well… Randy says she slayed it… Ellen calls her a Snuggie… Kara can’t get over that note… Simon says she’s such a strange person… and that it was really good and really bad at the same time…

AND NOW IT’S TIME TO SAY GOODBYE…

now playing: Should I Stay Or Should I Go – The Clash

well, the girls are definitely better than the guys… there’s not much argument there… now, who’s going home… well, it’s between Haley, Didi, Paige, and Lacey… and despite how i really feel… it seems to me that Didi and Paige are going to find the hot seat this week… what’s your call, people?

peace… love… bdg…

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So the guys are back tonight – well, ten of them anyway… due to BoSAWX being in the hospital… and the judges are playing musical chairs… Ellen is getting a little bit closer to Simon and, after a little bit of banter with the judges, we’re ready to start going…

TWELVE LORDS A LEAPING…

now playing: The Payback – James Brown

BIG MIKE… getting to know Big Mike a little better… nothing is negative, it’s all good… singing James Brown WATCH ME!… and immediately he’s a hundred times better than last week… it’s a serious song (“This Is a Man’s World”) and the tone actually fits his vocal a lot better than Maroon 5… it’s actually really solid right now… way better than anything from last week… could use a little more interaction with the crowd… there he goes working the stage a bit… wow… that was a hot one… Randy gives him the first standing ovation of the season… Ellen stands up for women’s rights and says that it’s the one to beat… Kara says she didn’t get it until tonight… he owned it… Simon says it was the transformation between a pussy cat and a lion… by far the best performance for Big Mike…

John Park… i’m gonna need to come up with a nick name for John… singing Gravity by John Mayer… sadly? i don’t know too many John Mayer songs… but perhaps this will be alright… i wanna run through… no wrong song… well, jeepers, he already sounds a lot better, too… just sitting there on a bar stool… a little shaky vocals on the bridge there and the chorus… and when he is on, it’s almost because he’s copying the vocal… not exactly his own identity this week either… much better fit for him though… Randy says it wasn’t anything special and a little bit pitchy… Ellen says it was better than last week, but still a little lacking in the soul department… Kara says – better than last week, but he needs to let loose and take some risks… Simon says Purple Haze is gonna get their lead singer back… it’s a case of the “so whats”…

Casey “Sawyer” James… so Casey has never had a television and never watched Idol… no wonder he’s so perfect… anyway, he’s gonna be singing I Don’t Wanna Be by Gavin DeGraw… i like this song, but it’s done a lot… we’ll see… um… Guitar Hero much… that was actually some good licks there… unfortunately it’s fallen off a cliff since that… it seems as though he’s really struggling to remember (READ???) the lyrics… he’s definitely overthinking the performance… the vocal is really kind of flat and at times awful… the guitar distracts from that, but not nearly enough… i’ll give him a 10 for the guitar, but like a 3, 3 1/2 for the vocal… Randy says this is what he could record and sell and the guitar was hot… Ellen says that everything is there on paper, but he needs to perform better… Kara says that the cougar is still a fan, but he took two steps backwards… Simon jokes that Casey must’ve not called her back… then he agrees that he was simply trying to be a rockstar, but didn’t have the real grit…

now playing: The Banana Boat Song – Harry Belafonte

THE MULLET… this is the guy i think will show the most improvement over the season… i think that he’ll get better from week to week, though that’s so very risky, that i’ll be concerned that he doesn’t make it each week… he’s singing John Legend and playing the guitar… gotta get over these nerves, son… he has such a great tone to his vocal and he’s totally aware of his range, shifting down gears when he needs to… this is still a very tempered performance… clearly still a bit nervous, but overall that’s great… the last note is not too great though… Randy says that he like him and he was way legit… Ellen calls him a banana again… big improvement… Kara says people would die to have his tone of voice and he doesn’t even know how to use it… Simon says it was a million times better than last week, but he needs to turn on the killer instinct…

Toderick “NUTCRACKER”… i think that i was one of five people who liked his version of Kelly’s song last week… but i don’t get this song choice… Tina Turner? we’ll see what happens… i know the song… it’s slower than the original… oh, duh… What’s Love Got to Do With It?… it’s a terribly mellowdramatic arrangement… not sure i’m feeling that… now the mic’s off the stand and in his hand… and it’s picked up a bit… i don’t know… his vocal’s a little fuzzy for me and i wasn’t really feeling the overall performance… Randy says just pick a nice song and sing it… Ellen says sing AND move… DANCE for me little man!… Kara says he’s likeable, but he was way too stiff… Simon says this isn’t working out at all… corny, theme park performance that’s utterly wrong for the show…

Jermaine “ONESEY”… yeah, let’s not be rocking the onesey on national television… singing Marvin Gaye’s What’s Going On… and i don’t think that he should’ve made it through last week… his vocal is so strident… i mean he’s got some pipes… but he’s still doing trying to do way too much… and it almost seems like he’s still a bit disconnected from the song… like he’s just out there trying to sing his entire resume with each performance… Randy says it was so close and still too far away… Ellen says she likes his style, but he still pushed it too much… Kara says that he doesn’t have to try to show off every trick in the bag… Simon says that he’ll go to church with him, but that wasn’t even church singing… Jermaine asks what song he should sing next week because he knows that he’ll be here because Jesus is his homeboy, yeah-ee-yea-eee… please… don’t act a fool, homie…

Andrew Garcia… he’s a breakdancer… nice… he’s going to be singing James Morrison – You Give Me Something… i’m completely unfamiliar with it, but he’s pretty much safe regardless of what he sings… sitting on the stool… he’s got a nice mellow vibe going on… and the verse is pretty solid but he’s really forcing the vocal on the chorus and to some extent powering through it, but i’m not sure that’s working out… now he’s all over the chart on these notes… it’s falling apart… hold it together, man… hold it together… Randy says it was the wrong song choice and it was pitchy throughout the whole thing… Ellen says that she disagrees, but he pretty much peaked with his “Straight Up” performance… Kara agrees and says that he needs to do something that makes him stand out… Simon says that he’s been found wanting… disappointing yet again because he can’t find the right song…

now playing: Get Down Tonight – KC and the Sunshine Band

Aaron Kelly… so this dude is Simon star-struck… singing My Girl by the Temptations… what was that show, White Shadow? this was the theme song for it… i think of it every time i hear this song… okay, well, not so much tonight… could someone please teach this boy about soul… this is kind of a strange, terrifying mix between R&B and Country… i’m not feeling it at all… not one bit… he was all over the place… clean up on aisle six… there’s a real mess sitting up on stage there… Randy says that it was good, but got strange, but alright… Ellen says that it wasn’t a good song choice, but he’s got a great voice… Kara liked it, no, really liked it… Simon verifies his age… he didn’t like the song, it was all over the place and a step backwards… Kara interrupts and argues Aaron’s case… i’m ready for him to go home now…

Tim Urban… and we’re back… seems like there’s plenty of time to kill… Tim got crushed last week (rightfully so)… and he’s gonna try to prove himself… i didn’t quite catch the song title… oh, Come On Get Higher by Matt Nathanson… it’s a nicer fit for his voice that’s for sure… he’s still a bit on the weak side though… i’m not sure if it’s confidence or what, but the vocal just isn’t quite there… very long way to go for this guy… he just doesn’t have it… you know, “it”… it’s not there… there is some potential, but he’s going to need to bat his eyes to make it though… Randy says it was karaoke… Ellen plugs Glee – perhaps her first negative remarks… Kara says it was a good song choice, but it’s not all there yet… Simon says that it was a marked improvement from last week…

Lee “Da Wise Guy”… in the pimp spot… he’s kind of like an Elliott Yamin without the incredible vocal… it’s LEE DEWYZE… he was terribly pitchy last week and, because somebody on the producer panel like him, he’s got a chance to shine… singing Lips of an Angel… and slowly making his way to the front of the stage… how very dramatic… he’s pitchy again this week and you just have to wonder who ever told him he could sing… he growls and shouts and sounds HORRIBLE… he’s a paint salesman and listening to him sing is like watching paint dry, chip, and fall on the floor… Randy says it was rough, but he liked it… Ellen says she really likes him… Kara says he can really open up his vocal and do well… Simon says that he’s head and shoulders ahead of all the other guys… i say that they’ll never make up for missing the mark with Daughtry… it didn’t work with Cook and it won’t work here…

AND NOW IT’S TIME TO SAY GOODBYE…

now playing: Should I Stay Or Should I Go – The Clash

alrighty… all in all it was a much better night for the guys than last week… however, there was still plenty of awfulness to go around… it’s gonna be tough to pick who’s going home once again… i can see John, Toderick, Jermaine, Tim, Lee, or Aaron going, but – trying to factor in who will vote and why… i’ve gotta go with.. Jermaine and Tim going home… what do you all think?

peace… love… bdg…

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and now it’s time for part two of the American Idol rundown for the first major week of competition… lots of writing ahead, so let’s not dilly-dally… i at least recognize a couple of these guys so perhaps that will make it a little more interesting for me… or less interesting… we’ll see… Simon delivers an ultimatum… lose it tonight, and your career is OVER!… off we go…

TWELVE LORDS A LEAPING…

now playing: Let’s Hear it for the Boy(s) – Deniese Williams

Todrick Hall… singing “Since You’ve Been Gone“… this guy reminds me of Dietrick Haddon… not that it means much to most of you, but really, he does… this is a really interesting take on Kelly Clarkson’s power pop ballad… it’s hardly recognizable… and i love it… sorry, i guess i tipped my hand there… that was fresh though… nice, nice job… Ellen says the chorus wasn’t great, but she loved the chance that he took… Randy says it didn’t sound like the same song… (i don’t know why that’s a bad thing)… Kara says that he’s a strong enough singer that he doesn’t need to rearrange the song that much… Simon says that he probably came across more of a dancer trying to sing than a singer that he can dance… he murdered and tortured the song… i still really liked it…

Aaron Kelly… i hear good things about this guy, but i don’t remember him all that much, just like he doesn’t always remember the lyrics apparently… this youngster is singing “Here Comes Goodbye,” a Rascal Flatts song, which should be a good fit… i don’t think the sound is set up right… oh… it’s like he was riding a bull and lasted just under eight seconds… he’s off-key, maybe he can hold it together enough to get back on track… well, okay, not so much… Simon says that it was a good performance for a first-timer… he needs to take control of the song rather than vice versa… Kara says that he’s going to get better every week because he has natural raw talent… Randy says that it was a big song, but he’s got a huge voice… Ellen says ditto, we love you long time…

Jermaine Sellers… don’t throw the band under the bus… singing “Get Here”… a.k.a. a girl song… and he’s not changing it into a guy song… he does have a pretty decent voice, but it’s so held back and breathy… oh, well, now we know why… he so needs to go back to the mild-mannered approach… some of these vocals are really hurting my ears… that’s wildly off… that’s a shame… aw, don’t throw a run in at the end… that just makes it worse… Ellen says that it was just a performance and that he was pushing it too much… Randy says it was a weird choice, but he tried to do too much with it… nice look though (i’ll agree there)… Kara says that he was trying to show off what he can do, but it was overdone… Simon says it’s the kind of song that would be requested by a 50-year old… and it was over the top… and now they’re giving him a lot of extra time… the producers must want this guy to stick around… please, audience, remember him and vote for him… i don’t like that…

Tim Urban… here’s the guy who was snatched from the jaws of defeat and has a second chance… let’s see how he does… singing “Apologize” good, good track… i guess it’s good that he’s not trying to be a copycat, but his voice sounds a little weird… and, oh, good grief couldn’t SOMEBODY have told him that he has absolutely no falsetto?… ah, poor kid… that wasn’t good at all… he’s probably going home… Simon says they made the right decision… the first time… he’s just not good enough… Kara says that the music overpowered him… (the rhythm will eventually get you)… Randy says that it was the wrong song and (thank you) that he doesn’t have the falsetto to make it work… Ellen says that he just couldn’t hit the high notes and it didn’t sound good, despite him looking adorable…

now playing: Marching On – OneRepublic

Joe Munoz… i love that Simon told him to learn how to play the guitar… singing a Jason Mraz song… i’m not sure that was in English at the beginning… okay, here’s another example of the song running all over the performer and pretty much leaving him for dead… this, my friends is a trainwreck caused by a car accident caused by a plane crash… Ellen says that he was comfortable on stage… Randy says that he worked it out… Kara says that he had a few issues, but he’s been the best vocally so far tonight? (what the heck is she talking about?)… Simon says that he sort of agrees, but he’s not at all a star… very forgetable…

Tyler Grady… this guy will have to be amazing to win me over because as far as i’m concerned, he’s a dope… singing “American Woman“… slow from the start… that’s not too bad… and now it kicks in… and yeah, so um, he can perform, i guess… but he certainly can’t sing… i’m not sold… he stinks… Simon says it was memorable, but partly because cliche and PHONEY… Kara says she agrees and there wasn’t much original… Randy says it was style over substance… Ellen says he’s copying the poses but it’s not real… i have to say at this point, since i have a moment… i’m watching this on a slight delay, and i keep getting distracted by Chris Sligh and Phil Stacey’s live tweeting… i’m looking forward to actually reading their thoughts on the night… also, i want to push that Old Spice guy into the ocean… and kick sand on him…

Lee Dewyze… i didn’t particularly like his version of “You Found Me“… now he’s singing Snow Patrol’s Chasing Cars, a song with an incredible build and a really cool payoff… if done right… ouch… okay, so this is the David Cook of the season… and i suppose everybody’s gonna fall in love with him all season and i’m gonna tell them that he simply can’t sing… and well, eventually, it will make sense when he doesn’t sell any records… HE CAN’T SING…. Ellen says that she loved the song and the tone of his voice, but that he pushed it a little too hard… Randy says it was too soft of a song and that he’s kind of a David Cook type of singer… Kara says that he almost ruined the song because he tried to fit it into his vocal range rather than pick a song that would’ve worked naturally… Simon says it was the best performance and that he should follow David Cook’s example… here we go again… oh, is that a BRMC tee shirt? probably not… never mind…

John Park… i’m looking forward to see how he performs… he seems like a pretty funny guy… singing “God Bless the Child“… okay, so he doesn’t talk with an accent, why on earth does he sing with one?… it’s too quiet, but it’s well controlled… probably too controlled, actually… it sounds pretty solid, but for me, he may as well be humming… can’t really understand half of the lyrics… and there’s not much to be happy about with that performance… Simon says that doesn’t have the voice to pull it off and it fell flat… Kara agrees and says that it was a sleepy performance… Randy says it was a matter of (wait for it) song choice… Ellen says that she thought he sounded great, but it may have been better if it was a different song…

now playing: Heartless – The Fray

Michael Lynche… the trainer who missed his baby’s birthday… he doesn’t even have to sing, really, he’s already guaranteed a top eight spot… singing This Love by Maroon5… i don’t get that song choice at all… i know, how cliche of me… but seriously… i mean, SERIOUSLY… it’s just not right for him… and he’s rushing it, and he’s not really playing that guitar… somehow, he’s out of breath though… it’s a good thing that he’s incredibly well-liked and friendly… that performance was just not good… Ellen says that it was a great song, great personality and it worked… Randy plays up the personality as well… then ignores the performance and distracts the audience with a funny line… Kara says that he brightened up the place, but if the rest of the group didn’t suck, he would’ve gotten torn to shreds… Simon says that yeah, it wasn’t good, they’re just afraid to say it…

Alex Lambert… who is not related to Adam?… he’s singing Wonderful World… he’s got something of a flared mullet going on with his hair… he does seem to have a rather charming, shy-guy presence though… reminds me of Matt Saracen from Friday Night Lights… he’s really straining to make his voice work, but – for the time being – it is kind of working… it’s not for me, but i can see this guy going pretty far… Simon says that he’s got a great voice, but it was an uncomfortable performance… Kara wants to hug him and she acts it out… she continues to tell him that he has potential… Randy says he’s got a great tone of voice… Ellen says that she likes him and the mullet, then she compares him to a slightly unripe banana… that’s a little odd…

Casey James… a.k.a. Sawyer (from LOST)… he’s even got the shirtless thing going… singing Heaven by Bryan Adams… this is a pretty nice choice actually… he is, surprisingly for me, the best performance of the night… he’s got it locked in and he’s really holding it down… i’m not sure that i like the Cher-like vibrato going on here and there… okay… the judges are really being dopes on this one… Kara is pretty smitten, Ellen says she could feel Kara undressing him with her eyes… Randy says that he likes the swagger and the sound… Simon says that he chose the right song, was honest and likable… then he calls Kara a cougar…

Andrew Garcia… the is my early choice as a favorite… and apparently he’s won the producers over, as well… can you say p-i-m-p spot… singing something from Fall Out Boy… actually playing the guitar… he’s definitely nervous, but he’s holding it together pretty nicely… number one with a bullet… that’s probably the case… honestly, not the best song or performance, but it will suffice… hopefully, they let him have it and he shapes up over the next few weeks… he’s certainly safe… Simon says he was disappointed… Kara says that it was kind of a risk, but it didn’t really work… Randy says that the song arrangement was strange, but he knows that he can be great… Ellen says that he needs to open up and be himself a bit more…

AND NOW IT’S TIME TO SAY GOODBYE…

now playing: Should I Stay Or Should I Go – The Clash

alrighty then… there were a LOT of BAD performances tonight… and that makes it really difficult to pick who should stay and who should go… let me start with who will be safe… Andrew, Casey, and Alex will be safe… Michael is safe… Lee is probably safe and unfortunately Tyler probably has enough support to make it into the top 12 already… that may actually be the guy side of the top twelve now that i think about it…

so that leaves us with Joe, Aaron, John, Jermaine, Todrick, and Tim… so i’ll go ahead and say that Aaron and John are safe… and pairing off Joe with Tim and Jermaine with Todrick… one of each of those groups will probably go… i’ll say that the bell tolls for Todrick and Joe… that will probably change in the morning, though, because at least those six should be done…

peace… love… bdg…

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well, i’ve got a bunch of things to write and i think that this could potentially be a very busy couple of days… anyway, for my own benefit, i’m going to list a few of the things that i’m planning on covering… there’s music: new albums from Brenton Brown, NewWorldSon, and Starfield… also, the Dove Award nominations are out, and i’ll have to discuss that at some point… there’s movies: Sarah’s Choice, To Save a Life, The Imposter, and The Princess and the Frog… books: I Am America, Live from Middle America, Voyage of the Dawn Treader, The Silver Chair, and The Gospel According to Lost… and speaking of Lost, i’ve got some thoughts about that, i’ll a rundown of tonight’s episode, and i’ll breakdown the top 24 performances starting tonight on American Idol…

and i’m sure there’s more… oh, like talking about the redesign and stuff like that… not now though… now, i’m going to just dive into the first of many American Idol rundowns… off we go…

TWELVE DANCING PRINCESSES…

okay, top twelve girls… two go home ten will remain… first we start off with silliness… Simon has a thing for Ellen… ha ha… she really IS replacing Paula… they’ve been sent to separate ends of the table and Simon is stuck next to Kara… i’m sure he loves that… so, they’re saying that these contestants are probably known better than in any other year… i disagree, mostly because i have no idea who most of them are… this should be interesting…

now playing: Mercy – Duffy

Paige Miles (and Miles and Miles)… singing “All Right Now“… and she’s literally just all right so far… she’s gonna have to learn how to not scream if she’s gonna stick around and nix the drama… save it fo’ yo’ mama as they say, somewhere i’m sure… not a fan… Simon says he thinks that she has the best voice among the girls, but it was a cheap, wedding singer song… Kara disagrees and is cheered on… brilliant rock, soul song that she slayed… Randy kinda sorta agrees with both Simon and Kara somehow… dawg… great job says he… Ellen agrees and disagrees… four judges is a lot, really… oh, Paige has to pee, stay classy, Hollywood…

Ashley Rodriguez… Kris Allen Fusion commercial (go buy his mediocre album, now)… Glee is coming back… Ashley is from Boston and she’s singing Battlefield, no, “Happy” by Leona Lewis… is that smart knowing that Simon is smitten with Leona? (props to Ryan Tedder for writing this song, i think)… okay… i think that’s about all the good that i can say… wow, she has no idea where the key is… methinks she’s not going to be happy with the comments… Kara says good effort… Leona Lewis is the new Mariah Carey… (i wouldn’t wish that on my worst enemy)… Randy says… well, let me summarize… the song is bigger than she is… Ellen says that the song didn’t let her be herself… Simon says it was clumsy and unoriginal and that she’s regressed since the audition…

Janell Wheeler has anyone else ever seen I-Spy on HBO Kids? “Oh, Wheeelerrrr!”… probably just me… anyway, Janell is singing a Heart song right out the gates… that’s some guts, right there… and she’s rushing… but she has a pretty nice tone to her voice…that is, when it’s on key… she’s a bit flat at the moment… and you know, when the song is supposed to explode into the chorus, it’s not exactly igniting… how on earth can you sing this song and not emit any energy… that’s odd… not gonna work out well overall… Randy says he’s glad that it’s over… bad song choice… Ellen liked the song choice and that she tried to get into it and she likes her… Simon said it was about 65%… and she had her moments, but it was not the best song choice… Kara agrees that the song was too big for her…

Lilly Scott… if she sticks around, i do believe i’ll have to go with some form of “Tinker Bell” as her nickname… she’s singing Fixing a Hole, by The Beatles… okay, i kind of remember her… she’s this year’s Adele/AmyWinehouse/Duffy wannabe… hopefully she doesn’t go insane and start “CAW-CAW”-ing like Megan did last year… well, anyway, i kind of liked it… she’s got some good potential and despite some minor slips, she was the best of the first four… Ellen says that’s what they were looking for… Simon says she’s the best of the night so far, but she needs to work on her star power… Kara breaks out the word “busk” and can totally feel Lilly… Randy says that he loves how she really doesn’t seem to care what anyone thinks and that she’s just plain honest…

now playing: No One – Alicia Keys

Katelyn Epperly… so Katelyn’s got a lot of hair… and she’s singing “Oh, Darling”… and she’s got a slight hint of that raspy quality to her vocal that Tink just got praise for… what the heck is in her hair?… you know what though, that was a really solid vocal… nicely done… bad stage presence though… Simon says that she needs a lot of work, but he likes her… Kara says that she knows her voice very well… Kara doesn’t like the thing in her hair… Randy says he liked that she paid attention to the tone of her voice and that she can really go places… Ellen says that she’s got… personality… and a great voice, but perhaps she’s a little pushy…

Haeley Vaughn… aw, she got her nose pierced to honor the fact that she made the top 24… i can already tell that she smiles too much… she’s singing “I Wanna Hold Your Hand”… in the vein of that Over the Rainbow remake… perhaps mixed with Marilyn Manson… why on earth IS SHE SHOUTING???? unfortunately, i think she might have some potential, but that was a complete and utter disaster… she’s got a serious case of the runs… she pretty much did everything that Randy praised Katelyn for NOT doing… Kara says that technically it wasn’t so good, but she looked like she had fun… Randy says that, yeah, dawg, get it together… there’s too much going on… Ellen says taht she was shining on stage… and they’re all pointing out her age… Simon says that she was like a wind-up doll that just wouldn’t ever stop… a complete mess…

Lacey Brown… oh, she was here last year, but now, with the hot redness in her hair, she has a newfound power… nothing can stop us now… oh, that would be great if she sang We Built This City… but no, she’s singing Landslide by Fleetwood Mac… and she is really rough around the edges… somewhat shrill even… she has someone singing BGVs? how’d she manage that?… i think she has some good qualities, but she is really trying way too hard… like she wants to be kind of sensual and mystic but she really lost control… Randy says bad song choice and it wasn’t good… Ellen says that she can do better if she gets a chance… Simon says he couldn’t wait for it to finish and it was indulgent… Kara says that it felt forced… shout out to Sixpence!…

Michelle Delamor… i have really no recollection of her, but i LOVE this song… singing “Falling” by Alicia Keys… not the best arrangement here at the jump off, but she’s got a really smooth voice and she’s holding it together… well, that was a scream, but overall it’s sounding pretty good… well, a few more off notes… she’s definitely got some solid potential… i’ll say now that she’s very likely a lock for the top six… Ellen says that it was fantasatic… Simon says that it sounded very professional, but not original… Kara says that she looks very commercial, but had a few bad moments… Randy says that she did a pretty good job, but she needs to really take some risks…

now playing: Break the Silence – Thousand Foot Krutch

Didi Benami oh, Didi has got some dry humor going on here… “terrified to sing “Terrified“… nice… now she’s singing something else that i wasn’t paying enough attention to… it’s probably by Adele… she’s dressed like she’s about to sing some Janis Joplin or something else from the Woodstock hall of fame… okay, it’s called “The Way I Am” by Ingrid Michaelson… i should’ve known that… she’s really playing up that Duffy sound though and even though she’s pretty on point tone wise, there’s no real stage presence or reason to get excited… do something different… Simon says that he would confuse her with 3 other voices from tonight and that it was a little dull… Kara says that she made a few changes that were cool… Randy says, yeah dawg, but where’s the star power?… Ellen says that it was pretty low-key for a first impression…

Siobhan Magnus… i wonder if any of her uncles compete in the World’s Strongest Man competitions… well, that was based on the name, but woah, she’s not so bright, eh? Singing Chris Isaak’s “Wicked Games”… the video for this was like an extended ad for Calvin Klein… i don’t understand why anyone would pick this song… she did alright, but it felt really roped in – that she was really holding back and trying to lay up for a chip shot… Kara says that it was a weird choice, but it was good… Randy says that she has a big voice and should really let them loose… Ellen says that it was great and she liked it a lot… Simon says that she’s a funny little thing… he liked it, but didn’t love it…

Crystal Bowersox… as a Yankees fan, i’m predisposed to disliking her because her name is just too, too close to BoSox, which of course is short for the Boston Red Sawks… anyway, singing “Hand in My Pocket” by Alanis Morrissette… haven’t heard this in a long time, and i’m not sure that i missed it… oh YES! harmonica!… sorry, that’s sarcasm… i’m glad she can play the harmonica and all, but please not here… she’s shouting a lot, too… she doesn’t sound bad, but it’s just very karaoke… i think she’s better than that… and technically, neither of her hands are in her pocket, they’re both playing the guitar… Randy says that he likes her and her honesty… Ellen is a fan of hers, too… Simon says that she sounds like she belongs outside of a subway station… Kara says that she sounds like a coffee shop performer…

Katie Stevens who reminds me of a girl from a show that i can’t remember the name to, but probably wouldn’t admit to watching anyway so it doesn’t really matter… moving on… she’s singing a Buble song… “Feeling Good”… awesome tune… wow, didn’t expect that vocal quality… she’s got a much bigger voice than you would expect… let’s see how it holds up… she bottomed out on the lower register there and she’s slightly off… kind of sharp and sloppy… and now that she’s in the big section of the song, it’s clear that she’s forcing that sound… it’s alright and all, but not what it could be… Ellen says that it was good, but conservative and old… Simon is holding his mouth… but he agrees with Ellen… “it felt like your mom and dad dressed you and chose the song for you”… pagenty… Kara says that they wouldn’t say that if she had killed the song… she was pitchy, but she’s got ridiculous chops… Randy says that she’s only going to be seventeen once and that she needs to enjoy it…

AND NOW IT’S TIME TO SAY GOODBYE…

now playing: Should I Stay Or Should I Go – The Clash

okay, two gals need to pack their bags… and who should it be…? Paige, Ashley, Haeley, Lacey, Siobhan, and Crystal are all in danger, as i see it… let’s see… narrowing it down to four, i’d say that Paige and Siobhan are safe… then, Crystal, then Lacey… that means that Haeley and Ashley are headed home… to the place where they belong…

peace… love… bdg…

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Last things last… we’re down to the final two and they’re performing right across the street from game one of the Lakers and Nuggets… i’m glad i’m not in THAT traffic, though i’m sure that both events would be fun to be at live… this is a neat intro, showing the two during their initial screenings and auditions… i don’t remember them doing that last year… now, Ryan is trying to be Mr. Standup, but whatevs… anyway… off we go…

Dynamo Duo

now playing: Eat, Sleep, Repeat – Copeland

“Wicked”… he’s starting off with a rerun… they had to pick one of their favorite performances from the past weeks… and he’s coming with “Mad World“… i guess that it’s a good choice, since it shows off his crazy without isolating his audience by shrieking or anything… it’s a rather controlled performance, but one that emanates the creepiness that he needs for appeal… Randy says A+… Kara says he’s and artist and he rocked it again… Paula is playing “Spray-on Tan Barbie” and she says that she’s proud of him… Simon thought it was his best performance the first time, but maybe a little too over the top…

“With a K”… singing “Ain’t No Sunshine” from behind the piano… and i like it right away… this is a really good song choice – has he done it before?… it seems like he might have, but either way, it’s a great tune with lots of great opportunities to riff and throw in emotion… and this is a spectacular arrangement and he’s really killing it… that was hot… Randy looking like a banker, says it was one of his best performances EVAR… Kara says that Kris is incredibly moving… Paula says that he awakens the spirit of everyone… Simon says that last week he wasn’t sure about Kris, but he is now… and after the numbers, Simon calls Kris the winner of round 1..

now playing: Rip It Up (Alt. Alt. Take) – Family Force 5

“Wicked”… Simon Fuller picked the next batch of songs… and, while this is one of my favorite songs, i can’t help but wonder if he picked this for the wrong contestant… Kris could do a nice Gavin DeGraw style version of this one… instead, Adam is treating us to a rousing Cinderella (the 80s hair-band) version of it… it’s not absolutely horrid – it’s pretty good actually, but i don’t know… not my favorite… Randy says that was unbelievable… Kara says it may have been his best interpretation of a song EVAR… Paula tries to rope him with her invisible Wonder Woman lasso, saying that it was the best he’s ever sung… Simon says he is 100% back in the game…

“With a K”… Simon Fuller is apparently brought to us by Motown… anyway, his choice for Kris is Marvin Gaye’s What’s Goin On… and Kris switches up the arrangement by pulling out the guitar and John Mayering it up… these two really are night and day from each other… and probably the best final two in the history of American Idol… i liked it… Randy says it was a little light… Kara says be true to your school, yo… er… i’m not really sure what she said, but there were hand motions to it… Paula said that he tore it up and made Marvin proud… Simon says that it was a bit too laid back, like a bunch of friends strumming along at home… then Simon switches his vote by a million percent… must be British math…

now playing: This Is My Now – Scott Krippayne

“Wicked”… this is a song written by Kara and some other unnamed songwriter… and Adam is walking through it like a blind man locked out of his house… yeah, he’s lost his keys… all the keys… this is incredibly pitchy and absolutely wretched… if this is any indication on how a post-AI album release will go, then I really hope that Adam loses and walks away… that’s terrible… TERRIBLE!… and once again Idol proves that they don’t care who the artist is, they just want them to fit a mold… Randy says it was just alright… Kara credits her cowriters and thanks Adam… Paula says that she’s a fan… Simon says that he’s going to ignore the song and point out that Adam is one of the best contestants that AI has ever had and that he’s a star…

“With a K”… so here’s his take on the same song… and i’ll try to be as non-descript as Simon (but it’s really a crap song, if i’m honest)… anyway… it definitely suits him better than Adam and at least he’s on key and making something of the song that’s not an absolute mess… i mean, if it’s on a playlist, i’m still pressing skip, but i might make it through 20 seconds instead of 3… Randy says he’s an amazing competitor, but then slights him for not being Adam… Kara says that the song was too high for him, but it’s been an incredible season… Paula wishes him the best of luck… Simon says that Kris peaked at song one, in so many words, but that he thoroughly deserves to be here tonight…

now playing: Home Sweet Home – Carrie Underwood

alright, thus concludes the final American Idol “report” from me for this season… i won’t even attempt to blog through the finale tomorrow because i always end up skipping over at least 2/3rds of those shows anyway…

so where does this leave us? who’s gonna walk away with the title?… early in the season, i picked Adam to win it all and i think i picked Kris to go somewhere around 9th or so… but like i said, he really came on strong over the last half of the competition and i think that he’s even surpassed the mighty Adam… therefore, i’m going with…

Winner Winner Chicken Dinner: Kris

peace… love… bdg…

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top three tonight which means, what, two songs each and clips from the triumphant visits back to their hometowns…? is this also the week when the judges get to pick a song for each contestant? how does that work with 4 judges now?… so many questions and, if i had tuned in on time, i’d already know… instead, i’m watching on a delay, skipping commercials and sappiness, and avoiding twitter and facebook updates to maintain some sense of surprise… diving right in…

THE THREE AMI-GOES?

now playing: The Choice Is Yours – KJ-52 (or Black Sheep)

“Gokey Dokey”… singing “Dance Little Sister” as chosen by Paula… i don’t think i’ve ever heard of this song or Terrence Trent D’Arby… apparently Danny hasn’t either… it’s got a nice Earth Wind and Fire feel to it and Danny is playing it up pretty well… gotta love a good sax solo… Paula is dancing… good for her… well, he did really well, i’d say… i’m not really feeling the song though… Randy says it was dope… Kara says it kept him in his money spot, but the dancing was a little heavy on the gyrations… Paula says that he did a fantastic job… Simon says that it’s not a dancing show, it’s a singing show and vocally it was good, but perhaps the wrong song choice…

“With a K”… okay, so, i’m watching one commercial… i wanted to see the trailer for Up because it’s showing a little bit more of the story… Randy and Kara have chosen Kris’s song for him and they’ve chosen “Apologize” by One Republic… awesome… he’s sitting behind the piano and he’s starting off pretty strong, perhaps a little copycat-ish, but i expect that he’ll inject something original into the arrangement at some point… Kris has really grown stronger as the competition has gone on… this one was alright… probably not his best, but really good overall… Randy says it was nice, very nice… Kara says it was really competent or confident, but it wasn’t really his own… he wasn’t swinging for the fences… Paula agrees that it wasn’t quite an original take, but she’s very proud of him… Simon says it wasn’t as good as the original, and that Kara should’ve told him how to prepare the arrangement and it’s a shoutfest…

“Wicked”… Simon got to pick Adam’s song and he’s chosen U2’s “One” if only to namedrop that he’s spoken with Bono personally… clearly, though, Simon likes the quiet and reserved version of Adam rather than the ostentatious and drama queen Adam… oh my… this is horrible… that’s not the direction to go with that song… it’s bad enough to have to cover a U2 song, but he really butchered it… the screaming… oh, that was just wretched… Randy says that he’s one of the hottest three in the competition (of course there are only three left)… Kara says he’s unbelievable… Paula says that it was one… aw, that’s as bad as the shrieking… Simon says it was a brilliant song choice and it was a brilliant, brilliant performance and he had better be in the finals next week…

now playing: The Show Must Go On – Queen

“Gokey Dokey”… singing a touching, Joe Cocker tune, “You Are So Beautiful“… he chose this one himself and there’s no dancing… but he has taken some liberties with the melody that i think the judges will like… and this is a pretty nice version actually… and it’s built into a really interesting song… definitely a twist on the original and i think that was a solid performance for him… Randy says that he can really, really, really sing with the mad vocals… Kara says that he completed himself with that one, it was stunning… Paula says that he left them all breathless and he nailed it… Simon says that he didn’t need to rearrange the song at all, but it was a vocal master class…

“With a K”… oh, no commercial… see, i was just about to write that they’re still gonna go over even though they built in an extra four minutes… wow… Kris is singing “Heartless” by Kanye West… that’s gonna be a HOT ONE BABY!… Ryan makes a point of saying that he’s from Arkansas… and now he’s got his acoustic guitar pulled out… and he’s rocking a stripped down version of a really sweet tune and he’s really pulling it off flawlessly… that’s just plain awesome… talk about a risk… man… solid… Randy says that this will be one of the toughest voting nights and that he liked it better than the original… Kara says he’s incredibly brave and it’s perfect… Paula makes a silly joke/jab at Simon, then says “Bravo”… Simon says that he had previously written him off, but now he’s back in the saddle again…

“Wicked”… ah, fringe finale is tonight too… i need to watch the final three episodes tomorrow… Adam is singing “Crying” by Aerosmith… from the early catalog, according to Kara last week… what the heck is up with the BGVs? they’re louder than he is… okay, so i’m gonna say that he’s done an alright job with it… definitely some high points, but also some really, really low points as well… i just think he’s fallen off a little for me… Randy says that it was better than One and that he’s one of the best AI has ever seen… Kara says it was amazing and that he’ll be in the finals next week… Paula says he set the bar so high that he should collect frequent flyer miles… and Simon says he doesn’t want to be a suck up and that people need to vote…

now playing: Home Sweet Home – Carrie Underwood

this is a really tough one to pick… and they did still run over… but here’s the point i was making about Kris earlier… Danny set his bar high pretty early on in the competition and pretty much stuck around that level, improving ever so slightly as the weeks wore on… Adam started out with a bang and pretty much let the judges carry him through the weeks with their high praise each time out… but Kris… man, i pointed it out one week a while back how he just started to stand out from the pack (specifically from Matt Giraud5) and he’s steadily made his way to the front of the pack…

if this were based solely on tonight’s performances, i’d have to say that Kris and Danny will square off next week… however, i really think it could go either way… i could see each of them going home… and, since i haven’t exactly done the best job all season of picking the results, i’m going to go with my heart…

Going Home Sweet Home: Adam

peace… love… bdg…

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four more cheers… four more cheers… okay, so i was joking that last week should’ve been metal week, right? well this week is rock week and that’s for real… Slash was apparently the mentor for the week and i can’t help but wonder why they don’t manipulate the theme song to fit the theme of the week…

oh, Ryan is talking about how the set is falling apart… apparently they were rocking too hard and ooh, this is interesting… duets… wonder how that will work…

THE FINAL FOUR

now playing: Welcome to the Jungle – Guns N Roses

“Wicked”… singing Whole Lotta Love and he shouldn’t be showing off his chest like that… well, this is rock week and the rules are loosened apparently… anyway… this is clearly right in Adam’s sweet spot… the week he’s been looking forward to… his voice just doesn’t stop… of course that was well done… everything we all expected and that guitar lick in the middle was hot… Randy says he was a rock star tonight… Kara says he’s a rawk gawd… Paula seems jealous about how much chest he’s showing… Simon jokes… then says that nobody will be able to top that…

“Red”… singing a Joplin tune to complement Adam’s Zeppelin… Crybaby… and, did Ryan just say that she and Adam are doing a duet? that’s a stacked deck there… again, this is right up her alley… the comfort zone and they’re totally setting things up for a finals between her and Adam… she’s had a few little pitch issues here and there, but the song is forgiving enough to let her shout through them and it was good… but pales in comparison to Adam, just needed some more energy and room to run… Randy says that he didn’t love it, but she can sing her face off… Kara says that she’s got personality… Paula says that she’s fearless… Simon says it was probably the wrong song choice… she gets feisty… great…

“Go K”… singing Renegade by Styx… and the clutch grind loudly as the show shifts down three gears in one fail swoop… i think this is really an unfair time to be doing a theme week that is so polarizing actually… it seems very clear that the producers are trying to push for an Allison/Adam finale… Randy says that there were great harmonies there… Kara says that the sum was better than the parts… Paula says it was cool… Simon says Gokey was better than Kris… what?

now playing: Let’s Get Rocked – Various Artist (Picking on Def Leppard)

“With a K” singing Come Together and pulling a back-to-back performance, which really seems unfair… this is Kris’s version of a curveball… a great way to diffuse the attention from the A-team and remind us that rock spans many decades… and the Beetles actually does fit into his wheelhouse… i liked it, but his vocals were definitely strained… Randy says he played the guitar really well… Kara says there was more to the song than Kris had to offer… Paula says that it was an artistic display… Simon says that he didn’t like it that much, because it was like eating ice for lunch… i think it’s really clear that this is a setup…

“Gokey Dokey” oh dear… Danny’s going all Aerosmith on us and he’s attempting to sing Dream On… i don’t know that he’s got the pipes for that to be honest… but i suppose we shall see… i do LOVE this song… but… it seems that i was correct with my original thought… “oh dear”… and with all these random shifts and stumbles early on, i’m really concerned for the finale… and yowsas… that was wretched… sorry Danny, it’s time to bounce… Randy says it was just alright, but it’s not his thing… Kara says that it was risky, but not perfect… Paula says something about being his fan… Simon says the last note was like watching a horror movie and that it didn’t work…

“Wicked Red” the other duet… this is what everyone seems to be hoping for… and the two rockers hit the stage together to sing Slow Ride… and take it easy… Slash should totally come up on stage and challenge the guitarist like in Guitar Hero III… I gotta say, these two are great and they’re doing well here of course, but i’m all but tuned out right now because this show has just been incredibly heavy handed… and i was pretty much already expecting these two to make it through… Randy says it was the Bomb… Kara calls them Gawd and Gawdess… Paula fawns over them and Simon gets cut off… and says that they win the show tonight… no duh…

now playing: Home Sweet Home – Carrie Underwood

so here are my picks… though i’m not thrilled about the way this one went… i expect just a bottom two, but i’ll throw in a third for kicks…

MY PICKS

Three: Allison, Kris, Danny

Going Home Sweet Home: Danny

peace… love… bdg…

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so they skipped the final six and we’re right in the thick of the hunt with the final five… hi-fives all around… this should be death metal week if i’m not mistaken… i wonder who will sing my favorite Slayer song… okay, so i just… i’m already hoping that Matt5 goes home…

FIVE SINGERS OF DEATH

now playing: You Didn’t Know Me When – Harry Connick Jr

So really it’s standards week which means that everybody gets to walk with a swagger and talk with a drawl… it’s going to be twice as hard for me to not call in a vote because there are twice as many numbers to ignore… Aw, yeah… the band is PACKED and ready to get live… they should’ve had Denver and the Mile High Orchestra come in and play for the show… the mystery helper is…. KJ-52… no… Jamie Foxx… what?… he’s explaining to them that the Rat Pack were singing a lifestyle and not just a song… i gues that makes them the original hip-hop artists… or something…

Kris “With a K”… starting things off… well, i thought that they’d be doing two songs each, but i guess they’re too concerned about running over again… “throat olympics?”… singing The Way You Look Tonight… and sporting a really weak little stache… ha… i’m gonna have to not look at him or else i’ll laugh through the entire performance… i like this… he’s doing well, but he really doesn’t have the smooth, rich vocal to match the song, but he’s given it a pretty decent touch of the contemporary stylings… i can dig it… Randy says he’s in it to win it and it was mad nice… Kara says that he set the technical standard very high… Paula says he’s ever so handsome and sophisticated… Simon says that it was a little bit wet….

Allison “Red”… the birthday girl… how on earth will she sing a classic like Someone to Watch Over Me without screaming and trying to rock it out?… well… let’s see… oh, she’s very breathy… Jamie made a point of how young she is… gosh, she must just hate to hear that all the time… oh wow… she’s got some good pipes there… i actually like her when she’s not screaming her head off… and, go figure, she actually stays on key… that was very impressive… Randy says she’s rough and gruff and he loved it… Kara says that she ain’t nervous anymore… Kara’s very sassy… Paula says that she delivered an innocence that was alluring and tender… Simon says it was a great performance, but she still isn’t very confident in herself…

now playing: Come Fly With Me – Frank Sinatra

Matt Giraud 5 gack… that’s my initial reaction… oh, and he’s singing My Funny Valentine… i bet it ranks up there with Janice’s version on FRIENDS… he’s sitting on a stool and i do dig the hat… but don’t like the way he’s switching his voice up… it kind of sounds like he’s fighting between doing a Sammy Davis Jr impersonation and a Justin Timberlake impersonation… ah, well, two of the three big notes were pretty much on and that was probably one of his best, but i still don’t think he’s finals material… send him home… Randy says it didn’t all come together… Kara says he wasn’t emotionally connected to the song… Paula says that she felt the emotion… Simon says that he disagrees with Randy… he thought it was believable and brilliant…

“Gokey Dokey” Danny will be singing Come Rain or Come Shine… man, Jamie Foxx is CRAZY… all up in his grill… and here comes the Gokey… looking like he’s actually in the right decade… unfortunately, i think he may be singing his swan’s song here… this may be the shocker of the season (or not), but even though this is a perfectly fine performance, it’s really not at all memorable… of course, he just pulled out all the stops to close it out and that was awesome… but still… it’s hard to overcome the slower start… and i’m sure Simon will point out his lack of “star” qualities… Randy says that he could have an album with songs like that… Kara says that he had swag… Paula says that it was stellar… Simon says that it was outstanding… wow…

“Wicked” Adam and now we come to the part of the program where we forget everyone else and just stand amazed… Adam with the white suit on… and he’s feeling… good… talk about swagger… i didn’t really like the ending of that opening phrase, and i’m not actually thrilled at all about this arrangement… but he’s really his own man… and… woah… that note… bam!… and the camera work was just perfect for it too… Randy raises his hand to speak and says that it was a little too broadway for him, but he’s in the zone… Kara says that he’s shocking and confusing and sleazy and it’s all in a good way… Paula says he’s the Michael Phelps of the singing industry… Simon says that it was the best entrance of the year… winner…

now playing: Home Sweet Home – Carrie Underwood

it always gets tougher when the contestants get whittled down… i’m cool with how this has turned out so far, but i’ll be a bit upset if Matt stays another week… so, here are my picks…

MY PICKS

Three: Kris, Danny, Matt

Going Home Sweet Home: Matt

peace… love… bdg…

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alrighty… so we’re back again for a disco night here on American Idol… Matt5 is back as are the same batch that we had last week… well, apparently no time for the jibba jabba tonight, we’re starting off with no delay…

SEVEN… AGAIN…

now playing: You Should Be Dancing – Bee Gees

Lil Rounds well, they mean business tonight… Lil surprises me with a Chaka Khan song… and she’s dressed like Catwomen, prowling the stage and getting behind the judges inspiring Paula to stand up and dance with her… and i have to say that overall it was pretty bland, the last note and trill was nice, but not enough to make the song interesting… Randy says it didn’t show what she could do… Kara says she’s been waiting for her to sing a song like this and it wasn’t worth the wait… Paula plays the sickness card again… Simon says she looks sad and, to avoid more criticism, she interrupts him and hijacks the conversation… Simon comes back and says that she’s probably done…

Kris “With a K” how does an acoustic guitar fit into the disco format? this should be interesting… singing She Works Hard for the Money… wow… i like it… even if he has no real idea why he picked it… the arrangement really works well and either he plays guitar really well or someone else is playing louder… i definitely dug that… no karaoke there, he made the song his own… Kara says that was risky business, but it paid off… Paula says that he probably wears girl clothes (or something to that effect)… Simon says it was original and well thought out, regardless of what underwear he wears… Randy says he is ready for the big time…

“Gokey Dokey” doing September by Earth Wind and Fire… and i just realized that it being GMA Week and all, Danny may actually be in trouble this week… traditionally the most prominent “Christian” on Idol struggles to get votes during the GMA festivities… he’s doing alright though… singing well and including the background singers in the spotlight… it wasn’t fantastic, but it was good… Randy says that he turned the song into something that worked… Kara says that he Danny and disco go together like Simon and a plaid shirt… but it was solid… Paula says that he has a sexy voice… Simon says it was a solid vocal, but a clumsy performance…

Allison “Red”… singing Hot Stuff… apparently the Aerosmith version including the painted on leather pants… that’s a horrible outfit… and this arrangement doesn’t really give her any room to breathe… and by breathe, i mean show off her talents… this feels like a late-night bar performance from someone who’s hanging onto a career just a little too long… Randy says bad arrangement, but she’s great… Kara echoes that… Paula says that it was edgy and the last note was off the chart… Simon says it’s not her genre, but it was brilliant…

now playing: Boogie Shoes – KC & the Sunshine Band

“Wicked” Adam Burger King should be absolutely ashamed for ever approving that square butts commercial… Anyway, Adam is staying classy, but dressing to a t and sporting the mile-high hairdo… singing If I Can’t Have You… it’s a really slow arrangement, but well balanced… and now as he starts killing it on the chorus, Paula is all but smitten as she’s moved to tears… and it finishes nicely and i liked it… i would never say that it’s disco, though… Randy finally pulls out the “hot one tonight” comment… Kara says it was brilliant… Paula says does her absolute best to sound like an artistic critic… Simon mocks Paula and says that it was original, memorable and the vocals were immaculate…

Matt Giraud 5 oh talk about cliche… Matt5 picks Staying Alive… and comes out trying to be all Justin Timberlake, but ignoring the advice he got last week and still trying to do way too much with the melody of the song… he just seems like such a complete poser at this point to me… maybe i’m just mean, but i’m just not buying anything that he’s selling… Randy says that he didn’t like the song choice or the arrangement, but he can really sing… Kara says that he brought disco back and that it was a solid performance… Paula says that it was a strike and that he’ll stay… Simon puts a damper on it all and says that it wasn’t at all original and that he didn’t like it…

Anoop-a-noop Ryan makes a sales pitch for the designer Coke cups… and Anoop struts out in his pretty pink sweater vest and sings a slow song again, claps off-beat and tries his best to work the crowd… at least he was smart enough not to pick an upbeat, high-energy song… that’s when he really loses it all… it’s just not really that compelling… there’s not much emotion, at least real emotion… oh, that note is off… Randy says it was a rough last note, but he can sing… Kara says it was really good… Paula says that he looks fantastic – real men know how to wear pink – and that it was a great song… Simon says that the other three are too kind and that it was bad…

now playing: Home Sweet Home – Carrie Underwood

well, after listening to all these other performances… Gokey should be safe… not sure what the results show will look like, but i’ll pick four in trouble and two heading home…

MY PICKS

Four: Matt, Lil, Anoop, Red

Going Home Sweet Home: Matt, Lil

peace… love… bdg…

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