AI9: Top 10 Perform

I never updated last week with the news that (no surprise here) Paige Miles was sent home.

Last night was Soul/R&B Night, with Usher as mentor. I admire Usher, although I admit I don't know his music that well. From what I've heard, I think he's got talent, and he made a better mentor than Miley Cyrus did by a long shot.

Our Cape Cod girl, Siobhan Magnus, opened the evening with "Through the Fire" by Chaka Khan. This is a great song, challenging and powerful, and I would have thought Siobhan would have been up to the task. She really wasn't. This was her worst performance so far. I was surprised by how many off-key notes she hit - she's almost always been right on key, and those false notes really stood out for me. Not only that, but some of her famous high notes just sounded screechy to me. The judges weren't thrilled, either. Randy mentioned the pitch problems and wasn't sure this was one of her “shining moments”. Ellen agreed that this wasn't her best performance. Kara agreed; she said Siobhan's lower register just wasn't there. But at the end of the day, she's still a great singer. Simon said she was all over the place (with some weird reference to her running a marathon). By far her weakest performance, and he's getting bored with her screaming at the end. I don't think she's in any danger of going home, but I hope next week she's back up to her usual level of competence.

The always appealing Casey James performed Sam & Dave's "Hold On, I'm Coming," and he did it very well. He played an electric guitar, which for me was the weakest part of the performance. I usually love his guitar playing, but it didn't fit with the soul vibe of the song. His singing was right on pitch, and his gorgeous smiles really made the song work for me. The judges were (for the most part) full of praise. Randy said it was another hot night for him; he stayed in his element, a perfect selection and choice for him. Ellen thought it was a little generic. She thinks it was a safe choice for him. Kara thinks he has more range in him, and he isn't showing us all he can do. Simon thought it was the strongest week Casey has had so far. He was really, really really (yes, three really's, I counted them)impressed with Casey this week.

Multitalented Michael Lynche played acoustic guitar for a beautiful, heart-wrenching performance of India.Arie's "Ready for Love." They had him sitting behind the judges, closer to the audience. He really poured his heart out in his singing, and his voice was, as usual, rich and vibrant. Randy liked the guitar. He said Mike's in the zone. He didn't think it was as exciting, but still good for him to show his sensitive side. Ellen thought it was beautiful. Kara thinks he did an incredible job. Simon can take him seriously as an artist for the first time. He actually believed that performance.

Unfortunately, Didi Benami was out of her element when she sang Jimmy Ruffin's "What Becomes of the Broken-Hearted." She has a very light, small voice with a bit of a country twang, and it just didn't work with this song. She was wearing a long spangly dress like a night-club singer, with huge sparkly earrings, and she tried to put in some drama, but it didn't help. She missed too many notes. Randy thought the performance kind of flatlined for him. It wasn't great. He didn't get it. Ellen thought it was too dramatic, not her best performance. Kara thought it was overdone. Simon thought it was like swimming in jelly. So over the top, so old-fashioned, so off-melody. He thinks she's lost her way. I really like Didi, and I hope she stays on the show long enough to have another successful performance.

Next up was the robotic Tim Urban, who gave a wooden (or should I say "metallic" to tie in with "robotic"?) performance of Anita Baker's "Sweet Love". During his mentoring session, Usher tried to get him to relate more to the song and connect more with the audience. It didn't work. Even though his voice had a good quality and he stayed on key, there was no warmth or life to the performance. Instead of looking at the audience, he sang a lot of the song with his eyes closed. Randy thought he was like a singing waiter, so pedestrian. But at least he sang in tune. No vibe, no swag, just kind of laid flat. Ellen wondered why he chose that song. She thought he was walking like he was sneaking into a bedroom. Kara thought it was like Broadway and Vegas; he took the soul out of the song and made himself so uncommercial. Simon thinks it doesn't make any difference what the judges say; Tim will just do what he wants. It was an inappropriate song, "like a mouse picking a fight with an elephant."

Andrew Garcia was up next, and I wasn't holding out a lot of hope for anything good from him. But he gave us an acoustic arrangement of Chris Brown's "Forever" that was excellent, up to his "Straight Up" performance during Hollywood Week. I'm so glad he's back! So are the judges, who had a lot of praise for him. Even Simon thought it was miles better than he's been for the past few weeks. But he commented that as a person, Andrew is boring. With a little urging from Ryan, Andrew's mother got up from her seat in the front row and gave Simon a piece of her mind. It was funny, but I really couldn't understand her even though she appeared to be speaking into Ryan's chest microphone. (Half of what she said was in Spanish, but I understood that part.) Simon hugged her anyway.

I was uncomfortable with 17-year-old Katie Stevens trying to be sultry in Aretha Franklin's "Chain of Fools." Nothing about the performance felt right to me. She had pitch problems, and I kept thinking of how Crystal Bowersox might have handled the same song, which made Katie sound even worse to me. But the judges loved her. Randy thought the performance was a little disconnected vocally. He thought it was one of the best performances of the night, though, because she proved she has the pipes. (Not to me she didn't.) Ellen wished the song had been a little more current. Kara thinks it was one of her best vocal performances; R&B pop is where she belongs. Simon thought it was pretty good, but very robotic and cold.

Lee DeWyze did “Treat Her Like a Lady” by the Cornelius Brothers, accompanying himself on acoustic guitar. I know he's supposed to be this season's answer to Chris Daughtry or David Cook, but for me he hasn't met their standards yet. He came a lot closer with this performance, though, which was excellent. He was on key, as far as I could tell. (I don't actually know the song, but the vocal range is kind of limited.) He sang it with confidence. Randy thought it was the best he's been in weeks. It was “da bomb.” Ellen thought it was the best performance of the night. Kara thought it was amazing. Simon has always believed in Lee, and told him last night was the night his life may have changed forever. I wouldn't go that far yet, but at least there's a glimmer of hope.

Crystal Bowersox told us she had a surprise for us this week, and she did. Sort of. She was wearing stiletto heels, for one thing. (She showed them off for the camera.) But the surprise was that she put down the guitar...and hid behind the piano instead to perform “Midnight Train to Georgia”, by Gladys Knight and the Pips. Granted, she got up from the piano for the second half of the song. She's got a little piano talent, but I think her attempts to concentrate on her playing affected her singing during that part. (That's what happens to me when I try to sing while playing the piano.) Even so, she was excellent, as usual. Randy liked the piano, the outfit, the singing. Ellen thought it was wonderful. Kara was glad she took that risk. Simon thought the song choice was sensational, and the vocals were incredible, but he didn't like the backup singers.

And they put the baby in the pimp spot. Aaron Kelly chose "Ain't No Sunshine" by Bill Withers, which in my opinion is one of those songs that ought to be banned from American Idol. He did a decent job with it, and let's face it, all the tweeners will vote for him no matter what he does. Randy said it was just all right for him. Ellen thought it was a good song choice. Kara wasn't in love with it, and thought it could have been higher in his register and had more energy. Simon thought it was like a cupcake compared to the main course. It was okay. I was under the impression that Simon had given up on criticizing Aaron because he knows Aaron will just get voted through anyway.

Highlights of the evening? Nothing that I'm contemplating downloading, unless I decide to get Andrew Garcia's "Forever." He was one of the best performers last night, along with Michael Lynche and (of course) Crystal Bowersox.

Clinkers of the evening? Tim Urban, again. I really don't want to have to go through another week of his robotic performances. I didn't like Katie Stevens' performance, but she'll probably get through anyway. Didi Benami may be the third member of the bottom 3.

AI9: Top 11 Perform

For some odd reason (probably because she was available), Miley Cyrus was the American Idol mentor this week. She's 17, younger than most of the contestants, and while she's been working most of her life, she's basically a Disney product. What kind of mentorship could she offer? From what I could tell, it was mostly in the area of stage presence, how to respond to your audience, things like that. As it turns out, this year's contestants really need an education in that area, so I suppose she wasn't that bad a choice.

The theme this week was Songs that have been #1 on the Billboard Hot 100, a ranking that started in 1958. You'd expect them to choose songs that were done, say, after they were born, but most of them stuck to songs from the 60s and 70s. Odd.

Take Lee DeWyze, for example. He was up first, and he sang a song I remember from when I was in high school in 1967: "The Letter" by the Box Tops. They made the news this month when their former lead singer, Alex Chilton, died. He was my age. I recognized his name - as a song title from Rock Band 2. Anyway, Lee sang fairly well; he didn't waver off-key the way he has other weeks. He did the song in a jazzy-bluesy style with trumpets and saxophones. (I was impressed by the way that microphones had been attached to the bells of the trumpets.) I thought it was a creditable performance. Randy said he "knocked it out of the box." Kara said he's raised the bar for himself. Simon, however, was (unpleasantly) surprised that he chose that song; he thought the performance was "corny." He still doesn't think Lee has defined himself as a contemporary recording artist.

The long-suffering Paige Miles bought herself a ticket home with a dreadfully weak performance of "Against All Odds" by Phil Collins. (Apparently Mariah Carey covered it at some point. I didn't know that.) It was an abysmally bad song choice for her. She was still recovering from the laryngitis that affected her last week, and she could barely whisper the song. Almost every note was off key. Randy flat-out told her it was terrible. Ellen decided to accentuate the positive: Paige didn't fall down in her very high heels, and she looked good. Kara thinks she stopped competing - it was the worst vocal she'd ever heard from her, possibly the worst of the season. Simon asked Paige how she felt about it. She recognized that she had pitch problems. He said this song may have just killed her chances. He's right. I'll be amazed if Paige survives this vote.

Tim Urban chose a song I'd never heard before - "Crazy Little Thing Called Love" by Queen. It sounded like an Elvis song. Tim, wearing white sneakers, danced around the stage, sliding across the floor, and he even went off into the audience. All the theatrics he did couldn't save his performance, though. He reminded me of a robot; there was no connection with the song. Randy thought the vocals were so boring. It was like bad karaoke. Ellen thought it sounded like an audition for High School Musical. Kara said little girls will love it, but he didn't do much with the song. Simon thought that the sliding around the stage distracted from the song, which was in his opinion why Tim must have done it - so that people wouldn't realize how bad the singing was. He didn't think Tim was really taking part in the competition any more.

Little Aaron Kelly told us that he has a tiny crush on Miley. He did one of her songs, "The Climb", during Hollywood Week. (I don't think we got to hear it. I have a note of Haeley Vaughn performing it.) He had managed to catch the laryngitis that was going around, compounding that with tonsillitis, and he wasn't up to his usual vocal capacity. He still managed to do a decent job with Aerosmith's "I Don't Want to Miss a Thing." I don't especially like the song, and I didn't really like his performance - he just stood there, and he didn't do anything different with the song. A few of his notes were off key, but that could have been the laryngitis. Randy commented on the pitchiness and laryngitis, but he liked it. Ellen thought it was a perfect song choice. Kara agreed that it was a good song choice. She wants more stage presence from him. Simon thought it was very brave. He thought the song choice was old-fashioned.

Crystal Bowersox showed once again that she's the one to beat with her performance of the Janis Joplin standard "Me and Bobby McGee." It wasn't my favorite performance of hers, but it was still superb. She had her dreadlocks piled up on top of her head and wore a long cotton-gauze dress - something I might have worn back when the song was new, in the 60s. During her session with Miley, she had Miley sign her guitar (making some remark about how she's having strong women musicians sign it - I wouldn't have put Miley in that class, but I'm not young any more, either). Randy loved it. “That's what it's about. She's what it's about.” Kara thought she smiled more this week than she did last week. She asked Crystal if she'd ever consider putting the guitar down. Crystal said she has big plans for next week. Simon said he wouldn't change anything about her performance. He thought she was as good as Pink (who has covered that song, too). He said her only gimmick was a carpet she'd stood on to perform. She and Ryan then sat down on the carpet (about 3 x 6, I'd guess) which I hadn't even noticed until that point.

Michael Lynche chose "When a Man Loves a Woman" by Percy Sledge, another song from the 1960s. I thought it was a good choice for him, but later Ellen told him it was a safe choice, and I can see why she'd say that. He didn't really have to stretch to perform it; it fits his style so perfectly. During his session with Miley, she told him she was in love with him, and he hugged her, picking her up off the floor. It was cute. This wasn't my favorite performance by Big Mike, and the judges agreed. Kara said technically it was good, but it was a bit boring and loungy at times, overindulgent, and she lost her connection with him. But she still loves him. Simon said it was almost too much. He would have just had Michael and a piano on stage, not all those string players, etc. He said Kara was right; it was loungy. (I like that description.)

Andrew Garcia chose "I Heard it Through the Grapevine" by Marvin Gaye (I remember it by Gladys Knight and the Pips, too), and it was the wrong choice. In his session with Miley, she made him put his guitar down, because she thought he was hiding behind it. She might have been on the right track, but unfortunately, Andrew doesn't know how to move around a stage without a guitar to hold onto. One hand clung to the microphone, the other made odd gesticulations that were probably supposed to have something to do with the song, but didn't. His voice was thin and weak. Randy said “It wasn't good, man.” Wrong song choice. Didn't work. Ellen agreed. They all love each other, but... Kara called attention to those movements with his hands. Simon thinks they just overrated his moment (“Straight Up”) and maybe he just isn't that great. He sucked the life out of that song and made himself really, really corny. In my opinion, if Paige doesn't end up going home this week, it'll probably be Andrew.

Katie Stevens went against her usual type and chose a song from the 21st century (as my son pointed out) - "Big Girls Don't Cry" by Fergie. Her beginning was actually pretty good, but she was a little sharp all the way through the chorus. This was a good song for her, though. Randy picked up that she was sharp, but he was pleased that she picked a younger song and a younger outfit. Ellen thought it was her best performance so far. Kara asked Simon if he still thought she was country. Kara thinks this – pop with R&B leanings – is the place where she belongs. Simon thought her meeting Miley was the best thing that could happen to her.

My favorite eye candy Casey James chose "The Power of Love" by Huey Lewis and the News. He was still cute, but he hit a few off-key notes and the performance wasn't all that exciting. He said he was going to own the stage more than last week, but he basically just stood there strumming his guitar. Randy wasn't a fan of the song choice, but thought Casey did it well. Ellen thought it was the best vocal of the night. (But then, she's not a musician, is she?) Kara thinks he's ready to make an album. He gets better and better. He's in the zone. And she is a musician, supposedly, so what's her excuse? Simon thought it was old-fashioned; he did an identical version to the original. No effort, no originality, nothing different.

Didi Benami chose "You're No Good" by Linda Ronstadt, and my first thought was, oh no, this is much too big a song for her. And it really was. She was off key throughout the song, as if she couldn't really hear the accompaniment. She attempted to be sultry, flirting with the string-bass player and moving around the stage. It didn't quite work. Randy loved the idea of it, but it was too pitchy – she never quite hit the pitch right. Ellen didn't think it was the right song choice. Kara thought Didi was playing a character. Simon thought there was an irony to Didi screeching out “You're No Good” over and over again... Didi said she had a good time, though.

The evening finished on a high (screeched) note, with Siobhan Magnus. Our Cape Cod girl chose "Superstition" by Stevie Wonder, and she did it extremely well. Those sky-high notes have become her trademark. Randy thought she was fearless. Simon was grumpy, and I couldn't figure out why.

In fact, I give top marks to Siobhan. I think hers was the best performance of the evening. Crystal Bowersox was also good. And that was about it for outstanding performances.

Down in the cellar, however, it's crowded. Paige Miles was the weakest, but Tim Urban and Andrew Garcia are right there with her. It's going to end up being a popularity contest. Which of these three has the biggest fan base? I guess we'll find out tonight.

AI9: First Elimination Right on Target

Only a week or two or three late, Lacey Brown is finally sent home from American Idol. It will be a relief not to listen to her off-key squawking another week. Although I liked her brilliant crimson hair... I wonder if I could pull off that color?

They put Paige Miles and Tim Urban in the Bottom 3 with Lacey. I don't think Paige deserved to be there. She was struggling with laryngitis this week and still managed to pull off a pretty good performance. I hope she can finally show off her potential and talent in subsequent weeks.

AI9: The Fun Begins! Top 12 Compete

All the preliminaries are finally over, and the serious competition is beginning. American Idol's Top 12 (or "Top 12", to be more honest; a true Top 12 created from the Top 24 would have included about 8 girls and 4 boys) have had makeovers (one week too late for Mullet Boy, Alex Lambert! I wonder what they would have done with his hair) and are singing on the raised platform in front of the room, no longer in the round. Unfortunately, the Swaybots are back. EW's Michael Slezak coined that term to describe the girls with their arms extended over their heads, swaying back and forth to the music. They're very annoying, especially when the camera decides to shoot the singer through their arms. They varied it a little by clapping during the more upbeat numbers, but that really didn't help much.

It was Rolling Stones Week. I have never been a huge Rolling Stones fan, although I appreciate some of their music. I had some 45s back in the day, but I never bought one of their albums, and there is no Rolling Stones music on my iPod. (At the moment, the only 60s songs on my iPod are by the Zombies. That should tell you something about me, but I'm not sure what...) (If I ever get my vinyl loaded into my computer, that will change.) In any case, this wasn't a stellar music week for me even before I heard the singing.

Michael Lynche led things off with a song called "Miss You". I didn't recognize it by the title, but once he started to sing, I realized I'd heard it before. The Stones did it with an even rhythm - da da da da da da da da - but Michael gave it a little swing, da DA da DA da DA da DA, which suited his style. His falsetto sounded great, but his mid-range wasn't as strong as it can be. He further detracted from his performance with some odd stiff-legged "dance" moves. Big Mike, I hate to be the one to break it to you, but you can't dance. I still love his voice and his style. Randy thought he "slayed it". Ellen loved it. Kara liked it. Simon thought he was confident, but he thought the performance, particularly his dancing, was corny, and a tiny bit desperate. At that point, Ryan came down from the stage and got into Simon's face to try to get him to back off from what he said. It was amusing, like watching a gnat buzz around a lion's face.

I am so glad that Didi Benami is finally beginning to come into her own. She gave another creditable performance, choosing a song I used to perform when I was in high school, "Play With Fire." Her lower notes were still a little weak, but her chorus was full and dark, as if she were truly a dangerous woman to fall in love with. When she forgot the words for a moment, she covered beautifully, spinning the line off in a different melodic direction that worked well. Randy thought she was on fire tonight. Ellen was pleased with the way she found her way back again after she lost her way. Kara liked the intensity she attacked the song with. Simon thought she was beginning to show them the kind of artist she wants to be. Cool choice of song. Solid, not brilliant, performance.

Casey James brought out his electric guitar and did some "bottlenecking" for his performance of the classic "It's All Over Now" (a song written by Bobby and Shirley Womack and covered by the Stones). I loved it. The song fits his bluesy style perfectly. He gave a good singing performance, but not outstanding, although he does have a lot of fun with that guitar. The best judge's comment was made by Ellen: she said that for most women, their hearts would start racing just by looking at him. "But then for people like me," she said, and paused. A beat, while the audience tittered. "Blondes." She thought it was fantastic. Kara thought he was a rock star. His best performance. Simon thinks he looks great, sang well, played the guitar well, but he didn't use the stage well. It's true; Casey just stood in one place while he sang and played guitar. I didn't think it was a huge drawback, though. All he has to do is shake his blond curls and I'm a fan.

Lacey Brown demonstrated once again why she should have been eliminated already when she tortured "Ruby Tuesday". She was wearing an outfit that looked like a long-line bra over a one-shouldered top. Did she put her clothes on in the wrong order? She was backed up by a string quartet, which definitely worked with the original song, but for her, it was a little like classical music accompanying the cluckings of a chicken. She's got far too much of a country twang to sing with classical violins. Fiddles, maybe. She was all over the place pitchwise as usual. I found her performance excruciating. Randy wasn't jumping up and down with it vocally, but he was pleasantly surprised. The most interesting one of the night. Ellen thought it was weird that she chose to move during the slow part but when it built, she sat down. It was a little sleepy for her. Kara said it was 50-50 for her; there were pitch issues and she thought she could do better. Simon thinks she performs like an actress. It was okay, but she needs to stop overthinking. But nothing wrong with the vocals. Hmm, was he hearing the same music I was? I really hope she's eliminated this week.

Andrew Garcia chose "Gimme Shelter". He was wearing a gray suit jacket over blue jeans and a red plaid shirt. I didn't think he sounded very good. He had some major pitch problems. Not a good song choice for him. He wasn't playing the guitar, so he stumbled around stage clinging to the microphone stand. Ho hum. Randy said it was pitchy everywhere. "It wasn't great, dude." Ellen thought it was his best performance yet. She loved it. Kara thought there were elements in it that were good. It's a song about war, and she didn't feel it most of the time. His lack of connection with the song bothered her. “What was he supposed to do?” Simon asked her, “You want him to come on stage with a tank or something?” Simon thinks he gave it 100% but something didn't quite connect with the song. It was clear to me that Andrew didn't know the context of the song, written during the Vietnam War.

Katie Stevens was wearing a ruffly little-girl party dress. I guess she was still trying to prove that she could sing in a younger style... She chose "Wild Horses". She was pitchy, as usual, and very weak and shaky on the lower notes. She was stronger on the chorus, when it's higher and in her more comfortable range. Randy thought she sang it really well, although he pointed out that there were pitch problems. Ellen said essentially what I did. Also thought it was a good song choice. Kara liked the choices she made with the melody, and it was better than last week. Simon thought this is the only week she made a strong song choice. He felt she connected with the song and gave it 100%.

Tim Urban did "Under My Thumb" with a reggae beat, accompanying himself on the guitar. I thought it sounded incredibly corny, and was boring as hell. His voice sounded all right, but he did nothing at all to the song; it just kind of sat there. Randy didn't get it at all. Thought the reggae was just bizarre. “It didn't serve you or the song well.” Ellen thought she was at a resort drinking a pina colada. It didn't wow her. Kara gets what they're saying, but she applauds that he did something so incredibly different with the song. Simon thought the original song was boring anyway, and what he did to it didn't work. A lot of Rolling Stones fans would be turning their televisions off.

Our Cape Cod girl Siobhan Magnus chose "Paint It Black", and her staging of the piece was dramatic: She sat on the neon staircase, lit in red, to sing the first verse, which she did in 3/4 time, turning it into a waltz. Then she got up and walked onto the stage, and the tempo changed to 4/4. She was wearing a black strapless puffy-skirted dress and what appeared to be Doc Martens. Unfortunately, she missed more notes on this one song than she's missed the rest of the season so far. A lot of it was off-key. I'm not sure how the judges managed to miss this. I guess they were sucked in by the drama. She went for a very high note at the end, which sounded shrieked to me, then finished strongly. Randy appreciated the drama and thought it was hot. Ellen loved it. Kara said she was having Adam Lambert flashbacks. Best interpretation tonight, she thought. Simon thought it was the standout performance of the night. I wonder what he'll think after he watches the playback.

Lee DeWyze sang "Beast of Burden", accompanying himself on guitar. He was very nasal sounding, and mumbled a lot of his words. I think he may have even forgotten them in one spot. I didn't think it was a very strong performance. Randy thought it was "dope", however. Ellen thought it was great, but she was expecting more from him. It almost didn't come together, like a hospital gown. (I love that description.) Kara said the energy was a little low. But he showed tremendous growth. Simon likes Lee as a person, but he didn't shine at the moment. He chose a safe and forgettable song.

Paige Miles did "Honky Tonk Woman", which was a great song choice for her. She made herself the honky-tonk woman, and her husky bluesy voice worked well for the song. I thought it was one of her strongest performances. Randy liked it. Ellen thought she had star quality. She sounded amazing, especially for somebody struggling with her voice. (I guess she had laryngitis this week.) Kara agreed. Simon thought she still hasn't quite connected. He thought it was a very old-fashioned performance, but at moments they heard the big voice he fell in love with during Hollywood Week.

Little Aaron Kelly chose "Angie", a ballad. He opened it on the neon staircase, which was lit in white this time. He did quite a nice job, actually. This was the best he'd sounded since Hollywood Week. Randy loved the tender moments in his voice. It was hot. Ellen thought it was a great song choice. Kara thought it was powerful. Simon thought he chose the right song. One of his strongest performances to date.

And in the Pimp Spot, Crystal Bowersox, who chose "You Can't Always Get What You Want". She was wearing one of Lilly Scott's peacock feathers in one of her dreadlocks, and she accompanied herself on the guitar. As usual, she put her whole heart and soul into it, and she sounded wonderful. I thought she was the best of the evening by a mile. Randy said it wasn't his favorite, but he loved it. Ellen loved seeing her personality come out. Crystal admitted to overthinking some of the previous songs. They told her to stop thinking. Kara liked it. Simon didn't think the song had enough drama, and said that in his opinion, Siobhan beat her. I don't agree, and I wonder if Simon will still think that after he hears the playback.

The strongest performers, besides Crystal Bowersox, were Didi Benami and gorgeous Casey James. Aaron Kelly did well, too. And despite her flat notes, Siobhan Magnus is still way ahead of most of the rest of the pack.

For me, the weakest performance of the evening was by Lacey Brown. Other weak performers were Andrew Garcia, Katie Stevens, and Tim Urban. Lee DeWyze could have done better, too. It'll be interesting to find out who goes.

AI9: Top 12 Named

A couple of surprises last night on the results show. My track record wasn't very good this week; only one of the several people I thought might be eliminated actually got the axe.

The best part of last night's show was the guest performance: They brought back Matt Giraud and Scott MacIntyre from last season. Matt's a dueling pianist as well as an accomplished singer; he finished fifth last year, and he's clearly the more polished performer. Scott is legally blind and sounds stronger and more confident this year. He finished eighth last year. They played back-to-back pianos, performing a piece by the famous Piano Man Billy Joel, "Tell Her About It." I really enjoyed it, Matt especially, and I don't even like the song that much.

When Ryan called down Paige Miles and Katelyn Epperly to face elimination, I was convinced Paige would be the one to go. Two weeks ago I said I didn't think she'd make the top 12. Last week both these girls made my top performer list, though, thanks to solid song choices. This week, both of them had performed poorly. As I watched them, I found myself rooting for Paige. Although her choice of "Smile" didn't work well for her, at least she poured her heart into it. Katelyn hadn't even come close to making the earth move. So when Paige got through to the top 12, I was happy for her. For us, too, because we can hear her again next week.

The second girl to get eliminated should have been Katie Stevens. I knew something was up when they put Lacey Brown through to the Top 12 and left Lilly Scott with Katie facing elimination. Uh oh. Yep, the multitalented, quirky, unique Lilly Scott was sent home. I hope she'll do well on her own without the AI Machine behind her. Meanwhile, we're left with a talented high-school girl who should be singing in community theater, not at American Idol. Oh, well, it's hard not to like Katie.

Then we have the boys. Really, they could hardly make mistakes on who to send home out of this crop of shaky performers. As long as Michael Lynche and Casey James got through, I'd be happy. And, of course, they did.

Todrick Hall, however, got the axe. I'd kind of like to see him end up on "So You Think You Can Dance"...

And my one successful call of the evening? The mushy banana. Alex Lambert didn't get through. They had him left with Andrew Garcia, and I was convinced Andrew was going to be the one to go (which still would have counted as a successful call for me!). I cheered when Alex was the one to go home. Sorry - I still hold out hopes for Andrew, even after that abominable song choice of (cringe) "Genie in a Bottle" this week.

So, there you have it. Talented women leave, untalented men stay, just to make a balance of six boys, six girls. Sigh. It should still be a good season.

AI9: Top 8 Boys Perform

This year's crop of boys on American Idol are nowhere near as good as the girls. That being said, some of them are improving more than I thought they would. There were one outstanding performance and several very good ones. The weakest performances were by the little boys and you just know the tweeners will vote them through...

First up was Lee Dewyze, who chose "Fireflies" by Owl City, a song I love. The original is whimsical and delicate, a fairy tale set to gentle electronic music. Lee accompanied himself on guitar. He has a heavy voice, and I thought it was going to be a disaster. But it wasn't. He was on key, mostly, and I felt an emotional connection to the song. The judges basically liked it, but Simon thought Lee was better than he'd showed in the song.

Alex Lambert sang "Trouble" by Ray Lamontagne, accompanying himself on guitar. While he did a competent job, he didn't blow me away with his reedy voice. But I just know he's going to get by because he's cute and likable. Randy liked the song choice, but he wasn't wowed by it. Ellen said he's becoming a mushy banana, he's ripening so fast. She loves his innocence. Kara wants him to be more himself, to let go. Simon thinks he needs to get himself mentally somewhere else. He's never relaxed or having a good time. As for me...I think he's gone past his expiration date and should be sent home.

Tim Urban chose the Jeff Buckley arrangement of Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah", one of the most overdone songs on American Idol. Jason Castro did it a couple of years ago. Tim amazed me, though - he sounded good. He's shown steady improvement over the three weeks of the competition. Who would have thought? His performance was a little all the same, though; I think he could have wrung a little bit more out of it. The judges were pleased. Ellen actually got up from her chair, came up on stage, and gave Tim a hug. “That was fantastic,” she said. Kara thought he might be in the top of the boys. (admittedly, not hard in this field...) Simon feels responsible for Tim doing well this week. His strongest performance in the competition so far.

Andrew Garcia made another weird song choice: he did "Genie in a Bottle" by Christina Aguilera. Yep, that's what I said, "Genie in a Bottle." He accompanied himself on acoustic guitar. Not surprisingly, it didn't work for him. It's hard for Andrew; he peaked early when he did that great arrangement of "Straight Up", and nothing he's done since then has come near it. Randy didn't think it quite worked. “You made us feel like the whole song was three notes.” It had no range to it, didn't go anywhere. Simon said it was a little bit desperate. After his weak performances the past 3 weeks, I don't think Andrew will make it into the Top 12.

Casey James chose Keith Urban's "You'll Think of Me." I'm not a country fan and I don't know the song at all. He accompanied himself on acoustic guitar (seems like most of the boys were playing guitar last night), and he did a really amazing job. His voice was strong and confident. I thought the song was a great choice for him. Randy, however, thought it was a safe choice. He thought Casey should have chosen something edgier. The other judges liked it, though. Simon thought it was his second best performance to date. (He didn't say what the best one was.)

The baby of the group, Aaron Kelly, chose "I'm Already There" by Lonestar (I misheard it as "Loan Shark", which I think would have been a lot funnier). I didn't think he sounded all that good, but I expected the judges to ooh and ah over him anyway. Randy did, sort of. The rest of them were more honest, surprisingly. Ellen thought he has sounded better; it was too much song for him. Kara thought the song was too old for him. Simon thinks it's a beautiful song. Not a great vocal, but it had emotion and Aaron was trying hard. I think it's Aaron's turn to go home, but I'm convinced the tweeners will vote him through.

Todrick Hall chose "Somebody to Love" by Queen. He did a really good job singing the song; it fits his naturally flamboyant style. (I'm not saying he's gay, but he's a dancer and it comes across in his movements on the stage.)Randy said “Todrick is back!” One of the best vocals he's heard so far from the men. Ellen said he was brave. Almost sounded like a gospel song. Kara thinks it was really good singing. Simon thinks it was good in parts. He thinks it was like “American Idol: The Musical” doing Queen. But he thinks Todrick made the top 12.

They saved the best for last. In the "Pimp Spot", Michael Lynche blew everybody away with his performance of Maxwell's version of Kate Bush's "This Woman's Work." He has a wonderful high falsetto, and his regular singing voice is warm and rich. I associate this song with Season 5's "So You Think You Can Dance" - dancers Melissa and Ade did a Tyce Diorio dance to it, about a woman with breast cancer, that moved me to tears every time I saw it. Kara was moved to tears last night by Michael's singing. Simon said “This was so needed tonight.” He thought that Michael "100% nailed it," and it was the best performance of all these live shows so far.

Best performer of the night was, of course, Michael Lynche. I'd rate Casey James fairly highly, too. Tim Urban surprised me by doing fairly well, too.

If it were up to me, I'd send Alex Lambert and Aaron Kelly home. But I'm pretty sure their youth and cuteness will pull at least one of them through. So I think the axe may fall on Andrew Garcia. Oh, well.

AI9: Top 8 Girls Perform

Tonight's show was crammed into an hour, so there were no color features on the contestants. At the opening, however, there was a little gimmick with Ryan sitting in Ellen's seat and Ellen sitting, essentially, in Simon's lap, apparently whispering sweet nothings into his ear. That's the second time I remember that they played up a flirtation between Simon and Ellen, which is just really weird to me. Are they trying to win over conservatives by implying that Ellen might not be gay? Oh, puh-leez.

Anyway, before we knew it, Katie Stevens was on stage and singing. Sort of. After two weeks of being told she was choosing songs that were too old for her, she picked Kelly Clarkson's "Breakaway". It was a mistake. She didn't seem connected to the song at all. I couldn't feel any real emotion from her, and her delivery was oddly flat. Her pitch wasn't always accurate, and her voice was unsteady and weak. The judges didn't like it much, either. Randy thought the song was too big for her; it was almost like karaoke; he didn't get it. Ellen appreciated that she took their advice and sang a young song. But Katie didn't show enough personality. Kara said she has a great radio voice. She doesn't think Katie knows who she is yet as an artist. Simon agreed. "You kind of sucked..." he started, and I winced, thinking he was giving his opinion of her singing in an unnecessarily crude yet accurate manner. After a pause, though, he went on: "...the energy out of it a little bit and made it a little bit gloomy." But he gave her ten out of ten for trying.

Siobhan Magnus scored the only short interview of the evening; she told Ryan she was doing the Animals' "The House of the Rising Sun" for her dad, who used to play it on the piano for her when she was little. She was wearing a red dress and had white roses in her hair; I thought she looked elegant. She did the first verse a cappella, and she was right on key the whole time. Our Cape Cod girl is going to do us all proud! She's got a a maturity and professional quality already. I thought she was wonderful. She sang with her heart pouring out of her. Most of the judges liked it, but Simon, of course, had to throw a damper on it. He said she didn't do anything new with the song. I disagree. She changed up the final verse and, I thought, made it her own.

Crimson-haired Lacey Brown (still here after two bad weeks) chose "The Story" by Brandy Carlile, and gave her best performance since her audition. She sang out well on the higher notes, and managed to hold together for the lower ones, too. Randy thought it was a little boring, a little sleepy, but it was her best performance in a long time. Ellen agreed it was her best performance to date. Kara said performances like this are how she got here. Simon didn't love, love, (he used it twice) the song, but she sang it well. But he still hasn't heard the song connection he's waiting for from her. I expect that Lacey just sang herself into the Top 12.

Last week Katelyn Epperly won me over with Coldplay's "The Scientist." This week, she lost me again with Carole King's "I Feel the Earth Move." She was playing a Wurlitzer - some kind of old keyboard. I thought Wurlitzer made organs. In any case, Katelyn didn't give a convincing performance. Her voice just didn't sound as strong and capable. The song overwhelmed her. She was off-key and weak. The judges didn't like it, either.

One of the two best performances of the evening was given by Didi Benami. She was stellar on Fleetwood Mac's "Rhiannon". She stripped it way down, using just her guitar for the first verse; a piano joined her on the second. She stayed on key and it was clear she knew and loved the song. She was as close to perfect as she's been since she did “Terrified” during Hollywood Week. I'm a fan again. Randy didn't feel a “wow” moment, but he thinks it was a lot better. Ellen said, “Yes indeedy, Didi.” She liked it. Kara said it was one of her favorite moments of the show so far this season. She compared it favorably to “Terrified”. Simon agreed with Kara. The best performance so far tonight. The wow moment was the whole performance.

Paige Miles, however, gave one of the worst performances of the evening, after doing so well at Kelly Clarkson's "Walk Away" last week. She chose an old standard, "Smile", which Ryan said was by Charlie Chaplin (not somebody I associated with music), and her voice just wasn't up to it. Later, she said she'd chosen it because Michael Jackson had performed it, and she kept getting choked up while she was singing it. This was not the right week to perform that weakly. The judges agreed that it wasn't the right song choice. Randy said “It just didn't work, man.” Ellen thought it was sad and heavy, and we didn't get to see her personality. Simon described the arrangement as "Holiday Inn in 1974." He thought it was a shame, because she has so much potential.

And now for the second of the two best performances of the evening: Crystal Bowersox, of course. This week she chose Tracy Chapman's "Give Me One Reason", and she was outstanding. She accompanied herself on electric guitar. She was wailing away, giving it her bluesy best, and she had the audience in the palm of her hand as usual. This one I want to download. Crystal's still my choice for Next American Idol. Randy loved everything about it. Ellen said it was the best performance of the night. Kara said great song choice. Simon is convinced (using Randy math, “one million billion percent”) she'll be in the top 12. Me, too.

Lilly Scott chose a country classic by Patsy Cline, “I Fall to Pieces”, which came out in 1961. She accompanied herself on a mandolin. Not her strongest song; she's done better. But she's gutsy, to do this old-fashioned definitely-not-pop song on American Idol. She was wearing earrings that looked like those loom pot holders we used to make. Randy said well done. Simon says she was very brave to choose it, but it didn't have the wow factor. It was cute and quirky, but could have been risky.

Best two performances of the evening: Crystal Bowersox and Didi Benami. Siobhan Magnus gets the first runner-up spot.

Choosing the worst two performances of the evening is a little harder. Paige Miles, I'm afraid, may have gotten herself voted off because she let her crush on Michael Jackson influence her song choice. And Katie Stevens just isn't ready for the big time, even though she's got a halfway decent voice.

Results show - this week they got it right

Every year in my American Idol blog I say I don't watch results shows because they're boring, and they take 2 minutes of information and drag it out over an hour. So last night I watched it with the remote in my hand, ready to fast-forward over the totally unnecessary parts. Got through the whole thing in around 15 minutes.

My predictions for which boys would get eliminated were 100% accurate, I'm delighted to say. John Park and Jermaine Sellers were sent home. They won't be missed.

I was 1 for 2 on the girls, sort of. The first girl eliminated was Michelle what's-her-name, a singer so forgettable that I forgot all about her when I was choosing losers. (I had to look her up to discover her last name is Delamor. Or at least that's what I put down yesterday.) She sang a Creed song I didn't know (or at least didn't recognize), and I really didn't have enough information to come to any kind of a decision about her performance. She won't be missed, because I never remembered she was there in the first place.

And the second girl eliminated was not Lacey Brown. Again. Sigh. It was the charming sixteen-year-old Haeley Vaughn, who really isn't ready for American Idol. I will miss her big smile and the huge fake flowers she wears in her hair. In a few years, this girl will be someone to be reckoned with.

AI9: top 10 Girls Perform

I cheered when I saw Crystal Bowersox in the lineup. She's back, and she's much better! They introduced her last, but she sang first. I guess they were afraid that she wasn't strong enough to wait through an entire evening. It worked in her favor, anyway; the judges, especially Simon, compared the rest of the girls to her for the rest of the evening. Very few measured up.

But some came close. What an evening it was! The girls are well above the boys in talent and the quality of their performances.

As I mentioned, Crystal Bowersox performed first, choosing a song by Creedence Clearwater Revival, "As Long as I Can See the Light." I don't remember ever hearing this song before. She put a gospel spin on it, and her voice is rich and full. A wonderful performance, one that left the judges in awe. Randy loved that she's not trying to be somebody she's not. Ellen said she has pure, raw natural talent. Kara said she hit a new level, whatever that means. (It was meant well.) Simon thought she chose a great song. “I think we've got a really serious artist with you. Congratulations.”

Haeley Vaughn was up next, wearing another huge fake flower in her hair. It turns out she makes a lot of her own headbands. She's such a charming sixteen-year-old. I wish she'd waited a couple more years to audition for American Idol, because she's just not ready for the big time yet. She chose "Climb", by Miley Cyrus, and it was a mistake. It made it extremely clear that she doesn't have Miley's talent, and they're about the same age. She had pitch problems, and her delivery was flat and boring. Randy “It didn't work for me, man...It was excruciating.” He felt she had no connection to the song at all. Ellen agreed. Kara thought people were rooting for her. But she needs about a year of strengthening her voice. Simon thought it was a complete and utter mess. I think she'll get through, though, just because people like her so much.

Last week when Lacey Brown tortured "Landslide" to within an inch of its life, Kara recommended that she do something like Sixpence None the Richer's "Kiss Me." So that's what she performed this week. Can the girl take directions or what?! But it didn't work. All her weaknesses were still there. Her pitches were all over the place. At first I put it up to nerves, and she did improve a little, but really, she is just not in the same class as most of the rest of the girls. Her voice is just too thin and grating. Randy thought the song choice was good, but he was looking for the words to flash across the screen - it was too karaoke (the dreaded K word!) for him. Ellen thought it was adorable. (Is that like when I say something's “cute”? My kids know that means I didn't really like it.) Kara liked the song (and why not? She chose it), but says Lacey has to step it up. Simon said it was marginally better than last week. But he compared her unfavorably to Crystal.

Last week the judges told Katie Stevens she needed to perform younger music, so this week she chose “Put Your Records On” by Corinne Bailey Rae - an interesting song choice, new and by a young performer, yet still old-fashioned. I thought the jazziness of this song suited her style. She wasn't always on key, though. But compared to the boys, she was amazing. Randy liked her upper register better than her lower. (He's right.) Ellen said she has a great voice, but she doesn't want to hear something she'd hear in her dentist's office. Kara agreed with Ellen. Simon didn't think she was communicating what kind of artist she's going to be.

In the intro clip, Didi Benami showed us some of her warm-up exercises: she meows. I've done meows for warm-ups, and they work well, so I loved this little tidbit of information. But her song choice was "Lean on Me" by Bill Withers. As soon as they announced it, my heart sank. I knew this was not going to go well. She doesn't have the lower register for the beginning of the song, for one thing. She brought some of the melody notes up an octave, where she's more comfortable, but it made the line jump all over the place. She was frequently off key, and she didn't look comfortable at all on stage; she kept making odd hand movements that I found distracting. Randy wouldn't have chosen that deep-rooted soul for her. It showed off her imperfections rather than showing off what she does well. Ellen loves her voice. She didn't like the song choice, though. Kara said it wasn't good. Used the K-word (karaoke). Simon thought she kept the cat theme going through her performance, which I think meant he thought she was shrill and discordant. He said it was a wasted opportunity.

Michelle Delamor chose a song by Creed, “With Arms Wide Open”. I'm not familiar with the song (I tend to change the station when anything by Creed comes on the radio...) I didn't think it was a good choice to display her voice; for one thing, the song doesn't have much of a range. She was a little off-key. And I hated the puffy-skirted dress she was wearing. Randy, oddly enough, liked the outfit; apparently Vera Wang was in the audience, and from what they were saying, I guess that was one of her designs. He didn't think Michelle did enough with the song. It fell flat to him, and I don't think he was talking about her pitch... Ellen said it almost worked, but not quite. Kara said it was her favorite performance of hers ever. It felt believable for once. She took a risk, she has a good attitude. Simon actually agreed with Kara. She didn't choose a safe song, and she made it her own. Maybe if I knew the original song, I'd have appreciated what she did a little better.

The quirky Lilly Scott chose Sam Cooke, “A Change Is Gonna Come”, which she accompanied with a 12-string guitar. I really like Lilly. She's got a wonderful, rich voice, and she did this song justice. She's the kind of performer who holds your attention. I know not every note was true, but I liked her anyway. Randy likes how unique Lilly is. This was his favorite performance so far tonight. Ellen said she doesn't know what “it” is, but Lilly has it. Kara said “You just had your first 'moment'.” Simon wasn't crazy about it; he thinks she oversang a little in the middle, and he thinks Crystal was better.

I hadn't really warmed up to Katelyn Epperly yet until tonight. She chose Coldplay, “The Scientist,” a song I love. She accompanied herself on the piano, taking it much more slowly than the original. I still found myself liking the arrangement. It's such a great song. And she has an excellent voice, rich and strong. Randy liked it. Ellen said she kind of fell asleep because it was way too slow. “People can't vote if they're asleep.” Kara "kind of" loves her. Simon thought she did the Natasha Bedingfield version, which Katelyn had never heard. “A million times better than last week," he grudgingly admitted. This is a song I'd consider downloading.

Paige Miles had the courage to choose a song by: Kelly Clarkson, “Walk Away.” Gutsy, doing a song by a previous winner. Last week, I didn't like Paige's performance, and I wasn't sure what to expect this week. She handled the song well, though. She's got a wonderful voice, something I couldn't have said last week. As it turns out, Kara wrote (or helped to write) that song. Randy thought it was too wordy a song; he'd have liked to have heard more of her voice. Ellen loved it. Kara could see her having a hit with that song. But it's really an angry song; she doesn't think Paige should have been smiling quite that much. Simon agrees with Randy that it wasn't a good song choice. She's getting lost in these songs. I liked it, and I think Paige will be here next week.

They saved the best for last, quite an observation, since earlier I would have said they did the best first. Cape Cod's Siobhan Magnus (in the pimp spot) sang Aretha Franklin, “Think”. I wasn't sure her voice was quite big enough for this song, but she really got into it. She did a great couple of high notes, and she was really wailing by the end. I thought it was the best performance of the evening, even better than Crystal's, and I'm definitely planning to download it. Randy said it was “dope.” (I think that's a good thing.) That high note at the end was incredible. Siobhan has an excellent range and her high notes are right up there with Kelly Clarkson's.

I've got a Top Three for the girls: finding good performances, unlike with the boys, was easy. Siobhan Magnus, Crystal Bowersox, and Katelyn Epperly. And almost equally as good: Lilly Scott and Paige Miles.

Finding two candidates for elimination is a little tougher. Obviously Lacey Brown has got to go. But who else? Haeley Vaughn, maybe. Didi Benami was weak, but I'd like her to stay around a little longer. I wish they could eliminate, say, three boys and one girl...that'd be easier.

AI9: Top 10 Boys (!) Perform

I thought it was odd that the boys were performing last night - I didn't remember them swapping with the girls last year. When the show started, I found out what was going on. Crystal Bowersox, my current candidate for this year's winner, was hospitalized and unable to sing yesterday. Idol was cagey about why she was in the hospital, but I found out from that great source of all things accurate, the Internet, that she had complications from Type 1 diabetes and should be ready to sing tonight. I certainly hope so - she's the best thing in this year's competition.

Meanwhile, we had to make do with the boys. I never was able to figure out what (if any) the theme was to last night's song choices. Probably something vague like "Billboard Top 100 over the past zillion years..."

The show led off with Michael Lynche doing the James Brown classic "It's a Man's Man's Man's World" - and doing it extremely well, too. I've been a fan of Big Mike's from the beginning. He's got talent and charisma. He made a few odd faces, though. Randy loved it - he gave Big Mike a standing O. The rest of the judges approved, too. Simon said he went from a pussycat to a lion in one week.

Next we were subjected to John Park, who informed us that he sings in an a cappella group called "Purple Haze". That would be a better place for him, I'm sure, than the Idol stage, where once again he made me wince with a performance of John Mayer's "Gravity". He was wearing a white V-necked tee shirt that looked for all the world like an undershirt, and blue jeans; I wondered if he forgot to get dressed...He was off-pitch and his voice just didn't sound very good. Randy didn't think he brought anything new to the song, and he mentioned the pitch problems. Ellen thought it was a better song choice than last week's. Kara said way better than last week, but she didn't always feel a connection. She thought he needed to let loose and get out of the comfort zone. Simon called it a “so what” performance, forgettable, and he thinks that John might have a problem this week.

Who knew that Casey James, in addition to being drop-dead adorable, could play the electric guitar so well? It's fortunate that he can, because otherwise his choice of song "I Don't Wanna Be" by Gavin DeGraw might have put him into danger. It didn't suit his voice - which is kind of bluesy and scratchy and not all that resonant - at all. But I loved his guitar playing. Also, he remodeled a house for himself (they showed it in the intro). All in all, this guy is a Good Catch. American Idol? Maybe not, but I hope he stays around.

Randy could see Casey making this kind of music and winning. Ellen thought he was a little stiff. She wants him to move more. Kara said he took two steps backwards for her. She thought his singing was off and he didn't take the song to another level. Simon agreed with Kara. “This week, you turned into somebody you will see in any bar across America, somebody trying to be a rock star...I don't think you've the grit in your voice to make that authentic.”

Casey said “That hurt a little bit...I don't have the grit?”

“No grit,” Simon said. “More like sand.”

“More like dirt”, Kara chimed in.

Before he went on, Alex Lambert reassured us that he hadn't thrown up before the show tonight, which he had last week. He chose a John Legend song, "Everybody Knows." This week he accompanied himself on the guitar and while he was still clearly nervous, he did a better job than he had last week. The song was a better choice for him, too. Ellen (who called him an "unripe banana" last week) made some convoluted comment about how that banana had been placed in a paper bag and had now ripened quickly. Uh huh. In any case, his voice had a pleasing quality to it in some parts of the song, and I suppose there's hope for him, although I don't see him in the Top 10.

Todrick Hall, after completely destroying "Since U Been Gone" last week, chose another song by a female performer, Tina Turner's "What's Love Got To Do With It" - a great song, a classic - and proceeded to chop it to smithereens. Todrick is a trained dancer; they showed clips of him as Fritz in the Nutcracker from his childhood. I think he has a singing voice, too, but the problem is, he just doesn't have a clue how to use it. His voice sounded tight and strained and a little scratchy. Plus, he chose to perform it standing almost still, overcompensating for the fact that last week Simon called him a dancer who thinks he can sing. It didn't help. Simon still thinks Todrick's a better dancer than he is a singer.

He was followed up by Jermaine Sellers, who took another great classic, "What's Goin' On" by Marvin Gaye, and strained all the emotion and passion out of it. He turned it into a pop song. This is a song that should be sung from the heart. Not only that, but he was badly off key. Sigh. That upper register of his could shatter glass with its shrillness. His hair looked like a Kewpie doll (I know, that fake Mohawk is stylish...) And the bow tie looked ridiculous. Randy thought it was better than last week, but so close and yet so far. Not a great performance. It didn't work for Ellen, either. Kara thought he always does too much. It feels forced. Simon was frustrated and disappointed. Jermaine waters down the songs; he makes it lose its importance because he plays around so much, nobody could take him seriously as an artist. Kind of a cabaret type performance.

Andrew Garcia came on looking exactly like Danny Gokey to me. Must be the glasses. Unfortunately, he didn't sound any better than Danny, either. He sang “You give me something” by James Morrison. His voice was weak and tight and off key a lot of the time. And he was one of my early favorites...right now I'm not feeling it where he's concerned. The problem we all have - and the judges mentioned this - is his early performance of "Straight Up" during Hollywood Week. He has never been able to perform up to that level again. I really hope he pulls it together.

The baby of the competition, Aaron Kelly, sang “My Girl” by the Temptations - a song I used to sing to my babies (changing gender where appropriate). I wondered a little at his song choice, although this song is a classic and I'm glad to see his generation appreciates it. He still sounded shaky, but he gave the impression of being a little more confident. It wasn't the best performance in the world. His falsetto wasn't very good. I've heard him perform better. Randy liked it. Ellen thought it was forgettable. She didn't like the song choice. Kara liked it. Simon didn't like the song; it was all over the place. Too old-fashioned.

The Man Who Shouldn't Even Be Here, Tim Urban, worried me by choosing one of my favorite recent songs, “Come On, Get Higher” by Matt Nathanson. I was afraid he was going to kill it. But he didn't. I won't be downloading it, but it wasn't as painful for me as his performance last week. He was still all over the place pitchwise, but his voice was clear and I think the song suited him. Randy,however, didn't get it. “Kind of very karaoke for me.” Ellen thinks he should act. No charisma, no stage presence, voice isn't strong enough. Kara liked the song choice, but he didn't make it his own. Simon disagrees with the other judges; he thinks it was a marked improvement over last week. More relevant than a lot of the other singers we saw tonight.

Finally, in the Pimp Spot, we had Lee Dewyze doing Hinder's “Lips of an Angel”. He was off-key, but I think the song choice was pretty good for him. He sang with passion and emotion. The song itself made me uncomfortable; I've never heard it before, but the lyrics seemed to tell a story of some guy cheating on his girlfriend. Randy thought the song had a couple of pitch problems, but he liked it. Ellen agreed. She liked the passion and intensity. Kara thought it was a big improvement. Simon thinks Lee's the best singer. I have no idea why he thinks this.

At this point, I try to find two good performances and the two or three weakest. Well, my favorite were Michael Lynche channeling the Godfather of Soul, and Casey James playing electric guitar. Oh, wait, this is a singing competition...I can't put Casey in my Top 2 for his singing. But, whoa, if I don't put him in, I'd have to put in either Tim Urban (just because he chose a song I love) or Lee Dewyze. Hmm.

The two weakest performances? Now that should be easy. But it's not; there were 8 weak performances. Or 7. Or maybe 6. Finding the worst of the worst isn't as easy as you'd think. John Park, though, he was pretty bad, and this was his second chance. So I think he should be going. And it's time to wave goodbye to Jermaine Sellers. I can't take any more of his horrible wardrobe choices and his song butchering. And I don't think Todrick Hall is going to stay on much longer, either. He just can't control his urges to overdecorate everything he performs.