AI9: Wrong Person Eliminated

Okay, that could be the heading many, many weeks during the season. But for me, any person except Aaron Kelly getting eliminated would have been the Wrong Person. The fact that the axe fell on our Cape Cod girl, Siobhan Magnus, is just WRONG. Not altogether surprising, actually; too many people just didn't "get" Siobhan - her unique style, her outlandish fashions (remember the butterflies?), her shrieking high notes. But I admire her, and I hope we'll hear more from her.

It's just more evidence of who really controls the voting on this show. It's a popularity contest, not a talent contest, and the teen and tweener girls do most of the voting. So of course an under-talented, undersized, underage but undeniably cute male runt with a minor talent will stay in the competition longer than an extremely talented but slightly bizarre young woman. I wouldn't have voted for Siobhan this week, so I couldn't have saved her. My one vote (or even if I'd managed to vote several times) probably wouldn't have offset the tweeners, anyway.

But it never occurred to me she'd be sent packing. She wasn't the worst performer of the week. Dumb me. See "popularity contest" above.

Anyway, the Bottom Three were my top three, and the Top Three were my bottom three. It gets worse: next week is Frank Sinatra week, and the mentor will be Harry Connick, Jr. Siobhan would have been wonderful doing Frank Sinatra. Aaron will most likely suck. Sigh.

AI9: Top 6 Perform

It was Shania Twain Night last night on American Idol. I hope that's as close as they come to Country Week this year. I can tolerate Shania Twain - in fact, I like a lot of her songs. And she was a great guest judge during the tryouts. She signed Crystal Bowersox's guitar after her audition. She's got a lot of energy and a lot of talent.

Lee DeWyze started off with "You're Still the One." I recognized the song - I wasn't aware it was by Shania. Anyway, he blew the first note. Fortunately, he recovered, and gave a decent performance overall. He seemed a little more comfortable on stage, although he still looked like a deer in the headlights after he performed. Randy thought he did a pretty good job with it. Ellen thought it was better than pretty good. “All aboard the Shania Twain!” Kara drew attention to his smiles. Simon thought it was the perfect song for Lee.

Michael Lynche chose “It Only Hurts When I'm Breathing.” He sang beautifully; you really believed he felt what he was singing. Shania, in the audience, looked entranced, and later she admitted she had a tear in her eye while he was singing. He used his beautiful falsetto at the end. Randy thought Mike has found his zone on the show – the balladeer, R&B singer. Very good. Ellen thought he sounded like Luther Vandross. Kara thought he was connected to what he sang. Simon thought the performance was a little bit "wet." When asked to define what he meant by "wet" he said "The opposite of dry." He clarified it by saying it was a little bit “girly” for him. Kara and Randy pointed out that it was written by a girl. (Shania, meanwhile, was hooting from her position right behind Simon.)

Casey James sang “Don't.” I had to go back and listen to this one again. When he started singing, I thought he sounded amazing, but in the chorus, he got kind of choked and nasal. But all the judges loved it, so I went back to listen again, and I got caught up in it. He played a simple accompaniment on acoustic guitar. An excellent song choice for him; he seemed very comfortable with it. Randy thought it was one of his best performances ever. Ellen thought this sort of song is really where he belongs. She thought it was his best performance to date. Kara thought he showed it all – the good, the bad and the ugly. He didn't hide behind his guitar-playing. Simon thought last week was a much-needed wake-up call. This was probably his best performance so far. The song felt like it was his own.

Crystal Bowersox, in a conversation with Ryan before she performed, said Shania "glows." She chose “No One Needs to Know.” She said the song was a message to her boyfriend. The lyrics, in part: “I want the bells to ring, a choir to sing/ The white dress, the guests, the cake, the whole darn thing/ But no one needs to know right now.” It was a lightweight song, cute, bouncy, very country. Crystal used a much lighter voice than usual, and it wasn't always pleasant. Not her best performance, but even a weak Crystal performance is stronger than most of her competitors' offerings. Randy said it wasn't his favorite performance, but he liked the country version she did. Ellen said there's nothing Crystal can't do. It wasn't her favorite performance, either. Kara thought it was believable. It wasn't her favorite, either. Simon thought it was limp. He didn't feel any conviction from Crystal, and he thought the song was forgettable (he apologized to Shania). Crystal said “bigger isn't always better.”

Aaron Kelly did “You've Got a Way.” Shania thought the song suited him. I thought it might be a little bit too much for him. It's a love ballad, and I thought something lighter might have suited him better. There were some nice moments, though. Randy thought Aaron was their country artist on the show this year. Ellen thought he showed a lot of emotion and depth. Kara agreed with Ellen. Simon thought he really got it tonight. It sounded like his own song. Aaron raised a few eyebrows by saying he was singing it to his mother. (He changed a line about making love to something else.)

Siobhan Magnus chose one of Shania's comical songs, “Any Man of Mine.” I thought it suited her. She strutted all over the stage and into the audience. She did a major dramatic ending, with her signature high note. There were weak moments, but generally it was awesome. Randy loved it. He loved her look, and the big notes. Ellen said, “Way to pull the Shania Twain into the station.” Kara said, “Guess who's back?” Simon really, really liked it. He thought the song was perfect. Wasn't sure about the last note. “It was almost like you were giving birth up there at the end.” But it was fun, it was good.

This is one week when top honors won't go to Crystal Bowersox. I'm inclined to make my Top Three Casey James, Michael Lynche, and Siobhan Magnus. That being said, I can't imagine Crystal ever placing in the Bottom Three. Aaron Kelly will almost certainly be there, and I'm not sure about Lee DeWyze. We're down to the Top 6, and five of those performers (all but Aaron) really deserve to be there.

Here's the way I think the eliminations will go down in the next few weeks:

Aaron Kelly should go home tonight.
Lee DeWyze should go home next week. I know some people have put him in the Top Two. I don't see it. He has brilliant moments, but his pitch control is shaky, and he just doesn't have the confidence in himself.
Casey James should place fourth.
Michael Lynche should place third.
Siobhan Magnus should place second.
And Crystal Bowersox should be the next American Idol.

Frankly, positions 2 through 5 could be in any order. It doesn't matter, as long as Crystal wins.

AI9: No More Urban Blight!

It took over two hours of "Idol Gives Back" to get to the meat of the evening: would they finally eliminate somebody who deserved to go? Or would the tweeners have voted through another annoying and untalented singer while somebody with talent was sent home? When Casey James was the first one named to the Bottom 3, I wasn't so sure. True, his performance Tuesday night was uninspired and barely musical, but when he's good, he's really good, something you can't say about either Aaron Kelly or Tim Urban. Those two contestants, fortunately, made up the rest of the Bottom 3.

But Ryan had to stretch it out as long as possible. He sent Aaron (AARON?!) back to safety, leaving Casey and Tim as the Bottom 2. Was he faking us out, the way he did last week when he left Michael Lynche there even though he wasn't a Bottom 2 vote-getter? He didn't say, but I wouldn't be surprised. For when the axe fell (or maybe it was just Ryan's hand), it landed on Tim. I cheered.

So now, for the Top 6, we have five people with talent plus a high-school student who would probably deserve to be here if he'd auditioned maybe three years later. With the Blight gone, the competition should be more of a joy to watch.

AI9: Top 7 Perform

Last night was Inspirational Song Night on American Idol. As I mentioned last week, I was not looking forward to this category. Yesterday I found further reason to dread it when I happened across the list of 77 songs that the Idol contestants were allowed to choose from. Nothing original there, just a collection of schlock and dreck. Sigh. I noted that the song David Cook did during Season 7, "Innocent" by Our Lady Peace, did not make the list. Another deep sigh.

Alicia Keys was the mentor of the week. I respect Alicia Keys; she's a classically-trained pianist with a gorgeous voice, and she brings that classical background to her songs. I wish she could have mentored on a week with better music choices.

And there was very little that was worth hearing last night. Limiting the song choices was not a very good idea, in my opinion.

Casey James led off the evening with an uninspired performance of "Don't Stop" by Fleetwood Mac. He started off on the wrong note, and although he recovered quickly, that set the tone of the whole song for me. His guitar work was good. (After the performance, he told us he was playing Lindsay Buckingham's guitar. Lindsay Buckingham is the one person above all others that I wish I could sing with. I always joke that Stevie Nicks got my life...) His singing? Not so much. Randy thought it was a good performance, but not his best. He'd like something a little more special, something different. Ellen thought his guitar playing was great. But other than that, he wasn't great. Kara said he made himself like everybody else. Simon didn't find his song choice inspiring; zero emotion, no originality. A lazy song choice. I agree.

Lee DeWyze chose "The Boxer" by Simon & Garfunkel. I was surprised this song (which was popular when I was in high school) was on the list, although I guess it can be considered inspiring. He accompanied himself on acoustic guitar, with a piano and orchestra. It was slower in spirit than the original, although I don't think it was actually that much slower in tempo. I felt the beat in 4 rather than in 8, which made it seem more stately, but also detracted from the emotional impact of the original song, at least for me. Lee sang it fairly well, though. Randy thought Lee's a great artist who will have a big career. Ellen thought the song choice was beautiful. His best performance by far. Kara thinks he had his moment tonight, and it shows clearly the difference when somebody feels connected to the song they're performing. Simon thought it was the best performance of the night (out of 2), the song was sincere, it was emotional, inspirational; he made the song sound as if it were written a week ago.

Urban Blight Alert! Tim Urban, who is way past his expiration date on this show, tortured "Better Days" by the Goo Goo Dolls. I didn't recognize this song from the title, but it's the one with the line "Tonight's the night the world begins again." I've always liked the Goo Goo Dolls, and the first time I heard this song it moved me to tears. It wouldn't have last night, though, unless they were tears of pain. As usual, Tim was way off key in spots, and he did nothing original with it. The judges didn't like it much, either. Randy thought it was an “interesting” choice, but it was kind of okay karaoke for him; Tim didn't do anything with it. Ellen compared it to the soup of the day; sometimes she likes it and sometimes she doesn't, and last night she didn't. Kara didn't think he did it very well. Simon thought he has improved over the weeks, but it was a little bit of a letdown.

Little Aaron Kelly chose "I Believe I Can Fly," by R. Kelly - no relation, right? Aaron gave an adequate performance, but I don't think he brought anything new to it. Randy thought he picked a giant song, and the arrangement was a little strange for him, but he thought he did a good job. Ellen believes he can fly. Real good. Kara thought watching it was like taking off. Simon said if he'd heard that song on the radio, he'd have turned it off within 10 seconds. It wasn't very good. Aaron shared with us that the first time he sang that song, he was at a preschool graduation (he was 5).

Our Cape Cod girl, Siobhan Magnus, gave a kind of overemotional performance of "When You Believe", which they said was performed by Mariah Carey and Whitney Houston, although I'm guessing not at the same time. Siobhan was wearing a dress with sculptured butterflies on it (Simon thought they were leaves). She used a wide vibrato that I found distracting, too operatic, but she hit every note, and when she got to the highest note, she just let it float out beautifully. All in all I liked her performance. The judges weren't so sure. Randy thought she picked the toughest song of the night, but it was just okay for him. Ellen disagreed; it was just more confirmation why she was here. Kara thought it was technically well done, but a little too dramatic and she still doesn't know who Siobhan is. Simon thought the arrangement was very old-fashioned, it was a bit all over the place.

Michael Lynche chose "Hero", which was listed as being by "Chad Kroeger featuring Josey Scott". I had no idea who these people were, so I looked them up on Wikipedia, where I was a little embarrassed to learn that Chad Kroeger is the frontman for Nickelback. Josey Scott is from Saliva. At least I recognized the song as being the Spider-Man theme. In any case, I didn't like Big Mike's performance, and as I've mentioned, I'm a huge Big Mike fan usually. I played it again, and I still didn't like it. It was kind of all the same; I couldn't get the story he was trying to tell. There was very little vocal range to it, so Mike couldn't show off his high notes. Kind of a wasted performance. Randy was a little worried about this song for him, but he thought Mike held his own with it and it worked out. Ellen thought he did a great job. Kara apologized; it wasn't her favorite performance; she didn't think his voice was right for it. Simon thought he sang it pretty well. “That was about Spider-Man, wasn't it?” It felt a little bit artificial to him. But he thinks Mike will still be around next week.

So far there had been six lackluster performances. But they'd saved the best for last. Crystal Bowersox sang "People Get Ready" by the Impressions, and she blew everybody away. It was a perfect song choice for her, with its gospel feel. She sang the first verse a cappella, and when the orchestra came in, she was right on key. It was clear the message of the song was affecting her, and her voice broke on the last few words, “Thank the Lord” and she ended up in tears. Very, very moving. Randy gave her a standing O. Ellen thought she had never looked more beautiful, and she keeps getting better and better. Simon thought it was inspirational. He was happy to see her emotional, and everybody felt the song meant a lot to her. She said she broke up because her dad was here.

Best performance of the evening? Really, the only good performance of the evening was Crystal's.

Two of the Bottom Three positions should go to Tim Urban and Aaron Kelly. I have a sinking feeling that the third should probably go to Michael Lynche.

Intelligent Conversation

Obviously, this has nothing to do with American Idol!

I long for intelligent conversation. I have, ever since I hit adolescence. Oh, not all the time - we need time to laugh and gossip and talk about silly things, too. But if I could look forward to some intelligent conversation from time to time - once a week might be enough - I'd feel a lot more complete.

Polite chitchat drives me nuts. I joined an online depression group, hoping for the kind of stimulating and intelligent conversation I used to get twelve years ago on another group (it's still there; the intelligence, however, disappeared long ago). All I found was the daily sign-ins, which are the height of superficiality. You say good morning, they offer you fake cups of coffee or tea. I post about my issues in other parts of the forum, but the responses I get are superficial and flaky. Remember cyberhugs? (((((((you))))))). Sigh.

So this morning I Googled "intelligent conversation" to see what would come up.

First? A column from onlinedatingmagazine.com, called "The Dying Art of Intelligent Conversation." It had received one response.

Second? A business - a consulting service. I didn't stick around long enough to find out what they were selling.

The third was an item on a 43things.com list, "have an intelligent conversation". I once had my own list on that website. I lost interest because I'm perfectly able to create my own list of goals offline.

Fourth was an article from 1998 about finding intelligent conversation online. Back then, I was finding it.

Fifth was a quiz from OKCupid. I did the quiz, but it wanted me to join to find out my results. How intelligent is that?

And so it went. I didn't look too closely at "How to Have an Intelligent Conversation with a True American" because the phrase "true American" puts me off. It sounds too right-wing. One of the videos that showed up was "Britney Spears Drunk" - clearly the opposite of intelligent conversation. Really, what was I expecting?

It would have been nice to find a forum that said "come here for intelligent conversation." I could post an issue I was struggling with, and people would respond intelligently. Oh, well, I suppose it wouldn't be the Internet, then...

AI9: Two Weak Singers Eliminated

I was relieved to find out that the two singers who were eliminated from American Idol last night at least were two of the weakest competitors. Andrew Garcia, who made Elvis spin in his grave with his performance of "Hound Dog" Tuesday night, was the first to be cut. I don't think anybody was too surprised by that, although Lee DeWyze, Andrew's best friend at the competition, looked stunned. I liked Andrew, but his singing just wasn't that great.

Ryan nastily left Katie Stevens and Michael Lynche standing on the stage together, waiting for the axe to fall. Nastily because he said that one of the two of them wasn't even in the bottom 3. Obviously, it was Big Mike, because Katie was sent home. Crystal Bowersox and Siobhan Magnus looked stricken. I can sympathize with them; now they're the only two women left in a competition where strong women were eliminated and weak men were retained. Too many tweener girls voting. All they care about is how "cute" a contestant is.

Ideally, we'd have a Top 7 that included Didi Benami and Lilly Scott and didn't include Tim Urban or Aaron Kelly. But - and I hate this expression! - it is what it is. We'll see what next week brings. "Inspirational" songs is the category, in honor of Idol Gives Back. I hate the thought of "inspirational" songs, expecting schlock like "The Wind Beneath My Wings" or "God Bless the USA." But in the past it's been some really interesting stuff, like Jason Castro doing that Hawaiian version of "Over the Rainbow" and David Cook doing one of the best pieces I ever downloaded, "Innocent" by Our Lady Peace. So who knows what next week will bring?

AI9: Top 9 Redux

Since Michael Lynche got the Judges' Save last week, there were still 9 competitors this week. Two will be eliminated tonight.

Last night was Elvis night, and the mentor was last season's second-place winner, Adam Lambert. Interesting choice - since he wasn't technically the winner of last season, even though he was so far ahead of everybody else in talent and creativity that he clearly should have won. Maybe they'll bring Kris Allen (the "winner") to mentor at a later date. But I doubt it. Adam had his hair puffed up in an imitation of Elvis' pompadour, sort of. I think he was a good choice for this week, since his style is as flamboyant as Elvis' was.

Great line to take out of context: Ryan was talking to Adam about his current hit, "Whataya Want From Me" (that seems to be the correct spelling; I suppose "What do you" doesn't convey the correct mood...). Anyway, he was talking about a part at the end of the video where Adam sticks his tongue out. I haven't seen the video, so I'm not sure what they're talking about, but Adam told him he needed to stick his tongue out at this point, and Ryan said "My tongue is not nearly as talented as yours." Awkward pause, while the audience (and all of us at home) tittered.

They led off with Crystal Bowersox last night, instead of saving the best for last. She performed "Saved", a gospel song I'd never heard before. Adam talked her into using an electric guitar, and the one she selected was beautifully spangled. The song was upbeat and bluesy, perfect for Crystal; it included lyrics like "I used to smoke, I used to drink...I used to lie, cheat and steal from people's feet". She was weaker than usual on the "big bass drum" line. ("I'm in that soul saving army beating on that big bass drum.") But she's Crystal, and she did a wonderful job. I'm planning to download it. Randy loved it. Ellen loved it. Kara loved it. Simon said he could relate to the lyrics. He commended her for being original and “you didn't fall into the karaoke trap.” Ryan described her guitar as “bedazzled.”

Then they followed her up with the worst performance of the evening. Well, Crystal's a hard act to follow, but Andrew Garcia would have been terrible even if he had followed Tim Urban Blight. He attempted to sing "Hound Dog" and he was so far from musical it was appalling. In the mentoring session, Adam told Andrew he was boring, and he needed to change up the song a little. Did Andrew do anything about it? Nope. He did it slow and, yes, boring. And he sounded a little like a hound dog, howling off-key, painfully. He tried to give it a bluesy feeling, but didn't really work for me. Randy said it was not good karaoke. He didn't like it, he didn't get it at all. Ellen wished he'd put more swagger into it. She thought he pulled it off, though. Kara said “It's Elvis, you've gotta own it.” She wanted to feel more from that performance. Simon thought it was lazy, unpredictable, and it didn't feel like a star performance. He didn't get it, either. I predict Andrew will go home tonight.

Then they pulled out the creepy Tim Urban; I suppose putting him after Andrew would be expected to make him sound better. He chose the slow and syrupy "I Can't Help Falling in Love With You." During the mentoring session, Adam encouraged him to do the end in falsetto. He accompanied himself on the acoustic guitar, and the accompaniment was lovely. His voice, however, wasn't, especially on the lower notes, which is I'm sure why Adam wanted him to end on the high notes... unfortunately, he dropped back down for the last “falling in love with you” which sounded lame and weak. Randy said he actually liked it. Ellen somehow compared Tim's music to shots of tequila. She thought it was beautiful. Kara said it was her favorite Tim performance yet. Simon said he'd gone from zero to hero in two weeks. Sigh. We are never going to get rid of this creep.

Lee DeWyze gave his best performance of the season on "A Little Less Conversation." This song really rocks, and it was perfect for Lee, who showed off his gravely voice to perfection while accompanying himself on acoustic guitar. During their mentoring session, Adam said there was nothing going on in Lee's face. He needed to smile and connect a little more. Well, it worked. Lee was the most alive and animated and comfortable on the stage he has been all season. Randy said he was “in the zone, dude.” Very good. Ellen said he made it so current. He was more confident, engaged with the audience more. Kara thought he really went for it vocally. She wished he'd been a little more playful. Simon asked her “When you say playful, I mean, what do you want, kittens?” Kara said she wanted him to be a little looser on the stage. “You're not going to skip around the stage,” Simon retorted. Simon said he nailed the song, “full stop.”

Little Aaron Kelly decided to do "Blue Suede Shoes." Adam told him to growl a little more, and I thought he nailed it. He was surprisingly good, walking around the stage and into the audience, much more connected with them than he has been so far. He seemed more relaxed, and I thought he was enjoying himself. Part way into the song, he did a half-time (slowed down) section. Randy liked the second half better than the first. Ellen thought he did a good job, but maybe didn't get all the way there. Kara said “you're out of your comfort zone, and I like it.” It felt more current and young for him. Simon wasn't all that thrilled; he thought it was very karaoke, and he didn't think it made Aaron sound young at all. Hmpf. I thought he did well.

Siobhan Magnus is a true Elvis fan. She even did a report on him when she was in the sixth grade. She appreciates that he came from nothing - born into poverty - and succeeded on just his talent and nerve. She sang “Suspicious Minds.” In their mentoring session, Adam thought it needed more fire. There was no fire for the first half of the song; she was very subdued. But halfway through, she switched into her powerful voice, and the song finally came to life. Randy kind of liked the whole “Supremes-ish intro”, but the slower part at the end was where it all came alive for him. “That girl can sing right there.” Ellen also liked the second half better. Kara is confused because Siobhan has two voices – the quieter one she used at the beginning of the song, and the powerful one for the second half. Simon thought she'd lost who she was. Siobhan responded, “Even I can't pinpoint who or what I am, and I've always kind of taken pride in that, I'm not just one kind of singer, ...and if I can't even label myself, I don't think it's necessary to be labeled, I just love to sing.”

Michael Lynche chose "In the Ghetto", a song Siobhan apparently suggested for him. Adam said he believed in Michael. I'm glad to hear it. This is an Elvis song that I actually remember (i.e., it was out in the 60s), and I wasn't sure Michael had captured it. I'm pulling for Big Mike, and I want him to excel on stage so that he doesn't end up getting in the Bottom 3 again. The judges liked him this week, though. Michael Lynche: “In the Ghetto”. Adam believes in Michael. I'm not sure this is the right song for Big Mike. As usual, he's singing on key, but this song just isn't the kind the audience will connect with. Randy thought it was a little sleepy, “but those were hot vocals.” Ellen's glad they saved him. Kara thought it was a beautiful song and he sang it well. Simon thought it was a “million billion” times better than last week, a terrific choice of song. (They were running out of time, and all their comments were brief.)

Somebody was holding up a sign that said “Norton, MA! Big Mike” Cool! (I grew up in a neighboring city, and my sister currently lives in Norton.)

Katie Stevens sang "Baby What Do You Want Me to Do" - a song she chose because of her frustration with what the judges have been telling her. Adam worked with her to get her to convey her anger and frustration in her performance. I thought she looked good - royal blue tunic over leather pants, some chains. She could have given a little more, though, although at least she was closer to being on key than she has been in the past. Randy thought it was entertaining. Ellen called it a “horny” song – a lot of horns in it. She thought it was great. Kara said “you showed us judges!” Simon found it loud and a bit annoying. He didn't like the song very much.

Casey James did "Lawdy Miss Clawdy." They put him on a tiny stage in the middle of where the swaybots lurk. He was cute, as usual, and his guitar work was awesome. But I didn't think his singing was up to his usual standards. Randy said another solid performance. Ellen didn't think it was as exciting as she'd like to have seen, but it was still good. Kara thought it fell short of what he was capable of. Simon thought it was a wasted opportunity with a song that was completely forgettable. But his vocal was good.

Best performance last night was Crystal Bowersox as usual. Lee DeWyze deserves a lot of credit, too. I'll probably download both of these.

Andrew Garcia was the worst by far. He should certainly be going home. I'm not sure who else will share the honor, though. My son and I both voted for Big Mike, and I hope the rest of his fan base responded, too, so with any luck, it won't be him. I still want Tim Urban gone.

In Which the Best Male Singer is Almost Eliminated

American Idol is definitely NOT a talent contest. It's a popularity contest. The voting is controlled by idiots with no musical skills of their own and no capability to appreciate real musical talent. This is proven week after week after week, as talented singers are eliminated and the dregs of the competition are kept on. For example: Tim Urban Blight didn't even make the Bottom 3.

The other two candidates I picked for the Bottom 3, Aaron Kelly and Andrew Garcia, were there. But after Ryan's intro hinted at "SHOCKING Results!", I knew that Michael Lynche was in trouble when he joined them there.

Now, Big Mike had a bad week. He made the wrong song choice - the overdone and trite "Eleanor Rigby" - and he sang the life right out of it, making it bombastic and theatrical. But I love Big Mike, and mentally I've placed him in the Top 3 with Crystal Bowersox and Siobhan Magnus. He is that talented, and he commands the stage with his huge personality. Urban Blight can't even command a small part of the stage. I swear he's taken over the brains of the voting populace with some kind of robotic mind control.

Big Mike chose to repeat his best performance to date when he sang "This Woman's Work" for the judges, who, being able to recognize talent at least some of the time, chose to exercise their veto and keep him in the competition. I cheered loudly, frightening the cats.

Next week, will the same kind of insanity prevail? I don't usually vote this early in the game, but unless he screws things up royally, I'll be voting for Big Mike next Tuesday.

It was Lennon-McCartney Songbook night at American Idol 9, and I groaned inwardly at the thought of what this unlikely crop of contestants might choose. I'm making a list of Lennon-McCartney songs that should never be performed on American Idol again - either because they're overperformed in the first place, or because an earlier contestant did them so well they shouldn't be touched again. A few choice examples:

"Yesterday". It's overdone. Also, I downloaded Syesha Mercado's version from Season 7, because she breathed new life into it, a miracle I doubt could be accomplished twice by American Idol contestants.

"Michelle". Argh. Overdone. Every elevator and dentist's office in the world is playing it, along with "Yesterday".

"Imagine". Again argh, overdone, but also, who could come close to David Archuleta's version during Season 7?

"Hey, Jude." Argh. Overdone.

"Let It Be." I downloaded Brooke White's version during Season 7. It still holds up. Let it be, already.

I'll add onto this list as other ideas come to mind.

Could the nine contestants actually come up with something original, or at least something that hasn't been done to death? Well, yes and no. Here's how it went:

Aaron Kelly picked "The Long and Winding Road." I had to sing this once in a community chorus, and it didn't leave me especially fond of it. It's slow and plodding, anyway, and Aaron brought nothing new to it. His voice lacked confidence, although it was adequate and usually on key. I think he should have given a lot more of himself to the song. Competence isn't enough at this level of the competition. Randy didn't love the arrangement, and the song was so sleepy. He thought it needed to be changed up a little. Ellen thought it was a big song to take on; she thought it felt like a long and winding song. Kara said he hasn't reached the great level yet. Simon asked why he chose the song. Aaron said the whole journey has been a long and winding road, and he didn't change the arrangement because it was a Beatles song and he didn't want to change such a great song. Simon thought he was very old-fashioned and very boring; he thought Aaron should become young and relevant.

Katie Stevens, being completely unoriginal, of course chose one from my Banned Songbook, "Let It Be," and while she didn't do anything new with it, she gave a surprisingly good performance. She looked very professional in a neatly tailored pink knee-length dress and silver jewelry, with her hair pulled sleekly back into a ponytail. The song is old-fashioned, so it's no surprise she'd be drawn to it. She sang with more emotion than she ever has on the show before. Randy thought it was her best performance ever. Ellen thought she changed it just enough to make it her own. She thought it was amazing. Kara thought it was a great vocal and Katie shows confidence even after two weeks in the bottom 3. Simon said that last night she got it right. He was convinced that it was because he had told her to go more "country", although how he could think that her performance of the song was in any way "country" is beyond me. It was beyond Randy and Kara, too, who retorted that it was more R&B (also wrong, as far as I'm concerned). In any case, Katie will probably not be in the Bottom 3 tonight.

The same might not be true of Andrew Garcia. He gave a bluesy performance of "Can't Buy Me Love" that was lukewarm and not very exciting. His voice just isn't that good, and there were notes that didn't ring true. Randy thought it was a solid performance, a little corny at times, but okay. Ellen thought it was a perfect song choice for him and she loved it. Kara wants to love it, but she didn't think she'd seen anything new from him. Simon thought the band overpowered the guitar, which made it corny, old-fashioned and irrelevant.

Michael Lynche has such a wonderful, rich voice that he can sing the most boring song and make it sound good. He said his family used to sing together (Did he really say they performed as the "Lynche Mob"?!), and "Eleanor Rigby" was one of the songs they did. So that's what he performed last night. I am sick to death of this song, and even Big Mike pouring his heart into "All the lonely people" didn't help much. Oh, well. Randy loved seeing the artist in him blossom. Ellen loved it. She also said he changed it. Kara thought it was fire. The vocals were amazing. He made the song commercial today, relevant. Simon didn't love it as much as the other judges. He thought it was the sort of thing you see and hear in musicals. He didn't think it made him contemporary at all.

I had a fantasy of Crystal Bowersox performing John Lennon's folksy "You've Got to Hide Your Love Away" (from the movie Help!), one of my favorite songs and one I perform myself. But no, she chose the funky "Come Together", which Carly Smithson did so well during Season 7. I downloaded Carly's version, and couldn't imagine that even Crystal could stand up to it. Of course, I was wrong. Crystal did a wonderful job with the song. For one thing, she brought in a didgeridoo, played by a guy named Ernie. Yes, a didgeridoo. It's amazing how well it worked. Crystal had a cold, but still managed to sing creditably, even though she was weaker on the verses, and I'd swear she messed up the words once. Randy said it was another solid performance. Not her best, maybe, but still good. Ellen loved the didgeridoo. She loved the song. Kara thought it was one of her favorite of Crystal's performances. Slinky, sexy, playful. She felt Crystal was more accessible tonight. Simon thought it was a performance he could hear on the radio. It worked. She was true to herself.

Oops, now it's time for some more Urban blight...Tim Urban chose "All My Loving", a song I used to love when I was 13. I really had no desire to hear my old favorite tortured to death. He gave a kind of perfunctory accompaniment on an electric guitar. His performance was boring and bland, just like his smarmy smiles. How does this guy get voted in week after week?! But the judges didn't seem to notice how bad he was. Simon even said that he thought he did really well. No gimmicks, just the right thing to do. He thought it sounded very current. I feel as if the Tim Urban Mind Control Robot has taken control of their brains.

And now for the best performance of the evening, the only truly original song choice: Casey James chose a piece from John Lennon's solo album, "Jealous Man." I don't remember ever hearing this song before, and I loved it. He accompanied himself with an acoustic guitar, and the only other accompaniment was a cello (and background singers towards the end; I could have done without them). It was a great song choice for him; it suited his Texas twang well, and the bare-bones version was perfect. Randy loved the sensitive vibe, he was impressed by the kind of artistic leap Casey took. Ellen thought it was his best performance to date. So soulful. Kara thought he showed vulnerability. Very tasteful. It showed depth. Simon thought it was the best performance of the night so far. I agree.

Our Cape Cod girl, Siobhan Magnus, sang "Across the Universe", which kind of fits with the hippie lifestyle in which I think her father may have raised her. It was a very stripped-down performance, just her and a piano accompaniment. It wasn't her strongest performance, but it was moving anyway, and a lot of it was excellent. She didn't scream out any notes, either. Randy thought her outfit was "wild." She was wearing a floor-length ruffled skirt that looked like she'd taken it from my grandmother's vanity table, and a kind of halter-topped gray leatherlike vest. He thought the song was a little sleepy for him, but he liked that she showed her tender side. Ellen thought it was beautiful. Kara thought it was very restrained and very polite. She thinks Siobhan connected very personally to the song. Simon asked Siobhan what she connected to in the song. She spoke of her younger sisters; said they're her whole world and nothing's going to change that. Simon admitted he liked the performance.

And finally, Lee DeWyze took one from my Banned list and sang a substandard version of "Hey, Jude." Sigh. He was off key from the very beginning; they might think he was changing up the melody, but I think he was just screwing up. Everything changed, however, when a bagpiper strolled down the neon staircase on the final chorus. Miraculously, the piper was on key as he played the melody, and it worked remarkably well. I've got to give Lee credit for his audacity. The first three judges praised him. Then there was Simon. He wouldn't have added the bagpiper. “It was like he turned up on the wrong show.” Well, of course Simon wouldn't have. That's why he's not anybody's Idol. I'm pretty sure people will vote for Lee despite his poor vocal performance.

Best performance of the night was Casey James on "Jealous Man". Crystal Bowersox ran him a close second with "Come Together".

Worst performance of the night? Well, my choices for Bottom 3 are Aaron Kelly (which will never happen; the teenyboppers will continue to vote for him in force), Andrew Garcia, and Tim Urban Blight. My first choice for elimination would be Tim Urban, but I suspect it'll be Andrew Garcia who gets the fewest votes. We'll see.

Another Travesty at American Idol Eliminations

I called the Bottom Three correctly: Tim Urban, Katie Stevens, and Didi Benami. At that point, the one sent back to safety should have been Didi Benami. Instead, they sent that prematurely old teenager, Katie Stevens, back. Well, there was still hope - the misfit who never should have been in the competition, Tim Urban, was still in the running for elimination. But no, the Powers That Be voted Didi Benami off. I'm well aware that the teen and tweener girls control the voting on this show, but I'm beginning to suspect they have help from another Vote for the Worst campaign such as the one that kept Sanjaya Malakar on well past his expiration date a few seasons ago. Tim Urban creeps me out. That mechanical smile, the bland, emotionless expression on his face - nothing touches him. Ryan called him "Teflon Tim" the other night. It suits him.

Oh, well.