American Idol 9: Top 3

Sigh. I'm feeling so let down by this season, in general. I mean, to have this be the Final 3 is kind of disappointing.

At this point of the competition, I somehow expect that every single one of them will bring it to ensure their slot in the Finale. No one should coast around as it is still, obviously, anyone’s game - no one wants to be Doolittle'd right? Haha.

Sadly, although all of them sounded technically good, the episode was underwhelming for the most part. Seriously. Could these three be any duller? Sure, there was, at least, one stand-out performance but this trio just proved to me that none of them would have made the Finale in any past season. They are immensely lucky to be part of this crappy batch.

All that being said, I'm pretty sure that this episode was all about setting up a competition environment for next week. They desperately needed a competitor over the past few weeks so Crystal Bowersox wouldn’t run away with it and they were very lucky that Lee Dewyze stepped up to fill that void. Now, the Finale is more like a horse race than a lopsided vote for next week. Good job Idol! 

So, speaking of that horse race, here's how I rank their performances this week:

03. Casey James
Ok It's Alright With Me
Huh? Is he auditioning again? Geez. I can't believe Casey gave this type of performance on Top 3 night. Really. While I do love the song, the whole performance kind of left me feeling flat. Sure, he sounded good but it was just too average, safe and easy - which pretty much defines this season - that did nothing to inch him closer to the finish line. To me, Casey is clueless of what a showstopper is. He never delivered one. Sad.

02. Crystal Bowersox
Come To My Window
Hm. Kill me now but I somehow liked Kimberly Caldwell's version better. I don't know. Vocally, it was good but flawed as she went a little sharp and a bit shout-y when she belted a part of the chorus. On paper, Bowersox on Etheridge would've been a killer combination but after this performance, I noticed that her voice kind of paled in comparison with Melissa Etheridge in terms of raw power. The arrangement didn't help as well since it felt rushed at the beginning. Now, as for the harmonica, three seconds of it was unnecessary and I could have done without it.

01. Lee Dewyze
Simple Man
Arguably, he won this round but that doesn't say much because Casey and Crystal just turned in one of their weakest performances to date. I thought his vocals were good and I, surprisingly, heard only a few off key notes in the performance and they weren't even cringe-inducing. He also seemed more confident and I was happy to see him move his feet, even if it was just once and only a yard or so. And while this performance wasn't a defining moment in Idol history or anything, it was a good-ish performance compared to most this season. My only problem with Lee is and always has been that he's simply a less good version of David Cook. Sad.

03. Casey James
Daughters
Someone should kill those swaying hands. Haha. Ok. To be fair, I thought Casey did the best he could with that song. Unfortunately, it was as tentative as his first performance. The stage was practically empty, the lights were static and the two musicians backing him - a pianist and second guitarist - were far removed. Yes. Casey, again, sounded as good as he has all season, but it literally put me to sleep, like a lullaby. Kara and Randy should have picked something that played up the rough edge he had with Jealous Guy. Was this a secret sabotage? I mean, if Casey needed a 'moment', as what Kara said, why chose something that was 'laid back' and narrow in range? Hm.

02. Crystal Bowersox
Maybe I'm Amazed
Really Crystal? Maybe you're a man? Haha. Well, this was actually a good performance. I thought it was a great material to begin with and it brought back the ragged soulful quality of her voice. It was also a bold choice to keep the lyrics untouched - which, rhythmically, would have been awkward - and that makes for an interesting performance. Vocally, she wasn't nearly as on point from a pitch or power standpoint as she was earlier this year, but nonetheless, it was slightly better and far more interesting than her previous performances as this song really allowed her to wail. Everything else considered, this surprisingly created an incredibly cool moment for Bowersox. 

01. Lee Dewyze
Hallelujah
Hey, did Lee get the Finale gospel choir a week early? Favoritism!! Haha. Ok. So spare us the agony and crown him already! Congrats Lee for winning Idol, you probably don't need to show up next week. Haha. Fine, I'll stop. Quite frankly, I was ambivalent about Simon's song choice at first. I mean, it has been performed this season  by Tim Urban during the Top 16 week and Jason Castro already had a moment with this song two seasons ago. So what now, Simon wants a better version to come out of Season 9? Well, color me surprised but I thought this performance was almost phenomenal. Sure, his interpretation wasn't as simple as Tim Urban's or as heartfelt as Jason Castro's but the bigger production with the angelic lighting, the strings and choir made his version nothing short of a showstopper. I still would've preferred it more intimate as the song is best delivered delicately but it was a great arrangement for Lee to sing. Now, if only Lee nailed all the notes - he got most of them though. haha - this might have been the BEST single performance this season. But he didn't so there's that. Haha. In all honesty though, this version was epic and really did cement Lee’s position as the one to beat going into next week’s season Finale.

01. Hallelujah
Lee Dewyze

02. Maybe I'm Amazed
Crysal Bowersox

03. Simple Man
Lee Dewyze

04. Come To My Window
Crystal Bowersox

05. Daughters
Casey James

06. Ok It's Alright With Me
Casey James

American Idol 9: Top 6

A paint salesman! A glass blower! A mother! A construction worker! An outrageous excuse to go overboard with the camera’s zoom function! That’s right. It’s American Idol. The top 6 put on one of the most bizarre episode in a long while.

 Tonight was indeed the Twilight Zone episode!

I mean, the people who I thought will deliver good performances were lackluster and those who I wanted to suck were surprisingly good. Geez.

Just when I thought this season will be as predictable as Carrie Underwood winning the whole thing in Season 4, things got really interesting tonight. I don't know.

But the thing that surprised me the most tonight was that I have a new found respect for Shania Twain, her song writing and vocal abilities. Really. I have always liked her - even though I was NEVER really a big country fan - and saw just how well crafted, clever and nuanced her songs really were through the performances.

Anyway, here we go!

06. Michael Lynche
It Only Hurts When I'm Breathing
Big Mike began his performance sitting on the steps and somehow I felt he stopped the stairs from moving!! Haha. Ok. Enough with the jokes. To be perfectly honest, I thought he did very well tonight. His performance was sweet, emotional and his vocals - save for some shaky falsetto - were good. However, I've been so turned off by his arrogant behavior at times that I'm now having a hard time believing his performances. Not sure if he was faking all the sentimentality - maybe not - but I just don't care about him anymore. Michael also has reached his ceiling and we all know it. It’s only a matter of time before he has to bow out of this competition and go on to make whatever he wants to make. Haha. Oh, and the cheese.. I drowned in it. Haha.

05. Crystal Bowersox
No One Needs To Know
Ok. Now this feels weird. After Crystal sang, I just sat on my bed and stared. I looked around the room to see if someone was playing a trick on me then I realized that my siblings were still sleeping that time. So, it wasn’t a joke. Surprise! Surprise! Haha. This week, Crystal was underwhelming! I was actually shocked by how unauthentic Crystal's performance came across. Who would've thought?  Sure, she sounded great and her falsetto was very impressive but the performance lacked as much swagger as the original. I don't know. I thought the female harmony singer sounded tentative, which somehow threw off the arrangement a little bit and it just didn't seem to go anywhere. I appreciate that she stuck with the theme better than anyone else though. Oh, and note to Ryan: There is a time and a place to comment on teeth. An interview with Crystal Bowersox is not that time or place. Haha.

04. Lee Dewyze
You're Still The One
Somehow, it sounded like Lee was trying to pull a David Cook Always Be My Baby moment, but failed. Haha. Don't even go there Lee! I mean, I liked his arrangement of the song and he played a little with the melody to suit his range and style but I found his vocals to be a bit shakier and forced than usual. There were parts where the melody seemed way off - although I thought it was more an issue of his interpretation than his pitch. Ultimately, the performance wasn't bad but it could've been better considering he had a great song to work with.

03. Siobhan Magnus
Any Man Of Mine
I'm confused! The judges criticized her for When You Believe and Suspicious Minds, but this performance got her unanimously praised? Seriously. Don't get me wrong, I thought she did really well this week but her vocal performances the past few weeks were so much worthy of good reviews, which she obviously didn't get. But yes, Siobhan was totally back to her sassy self again! To me, this was the most energetic performance of the night. It was really great to see her do something fun for a change and really interact with the crowd. The rhythm of the song was a bit bizarre but her endearing awkward delivery almost made up for it. The moments at the end of the performance were absolutely perfect to close out the evening and we better hope that Siobhan makes this the beginning of a comeback and not a fluke. Now, this dark horse still has a chance.

02. Aaron Kelly
You've Got A Way
WTF! How is this possible? Haha. I can't believe that I actually liked Aaron's performance tonight and ranked him this high. Well, maybe because he managed to deliver exactly what I’ve been waiting for all season from him. I thought his tone was beautiful with the song and his voice had character. It wasn't perfect vocally but he sure has a nice upper register. Sure, this week was pretty much in his wheelhouse, but he also managed to perform the song in a very mature way I wasn’t aware he possessed. I really felt that he was tugging at the heartstrings. Finally! Good job Aaron!

01. Casey James
Don't!
The rollercoaster ride continues. Haha. Casey just gave me a reason to like him again! Haha. Frack. I actually loved it. To be fair, I never doubted his talent, it was just that he never showed any charisma until now. This, to me, was the most believable and authentic performance of the night. I was actually glad that he just sat on a stool, played his guitar and sang his heart out. Maybe a little more emotion and a tiny more grit in his voice will make this performance THE moment for him. But what the heck! It was awesome. This was much closer to Jealous Guy than Don't Stop, quality-wise. It did show off more of his voice - including the tiniest bit of falsetto - and it was the first time, I thought, where he sounded it could go straight to radio. I was fairly impressed.

American Idol 9: Top 7

..and another step backwards in this season.

Seriously. The remaining 7 contestants were good enough to sidestep the "invitation to a trainwreck" inspirational songs week, so an initial tip of the hat to them all. But I won't go overboard and say any of them blew me away because none of them did, well maybe Crystal. But still..

Honestly, this season needs to be over already. It's been bad for the most part. I wish I could stop watching but I couldn't. Haha. Somehow, I'm still waiting for that one performance that will SAVE this season for being the worst. Season 6 is going to like this.. Haha.

Anyway, I almost hate to rank these performances this week because there's such a large drop-off after my Top 2 performances. But I have no choice, I guess.

So here we go!

07. Casey James
Don't Stop
I’m going to put as much energy and effort into Casey’s writeup as he’s put into his last few performances. Aaaand.. DONE! Haha. Ok. Maybe not! Well, didn't I just see him perform this last week? Oh, nevermind. Same performance, different song. Sure, it was somehow good-ish but there was nothing special in that performance. Very typical and his vibrato really bothered me on that song for some reason. Casey is becoming that classic "one note" performer. He just stood there and smiled through the whole song - which I don’t think what Alicia Keys meant by showing personality - and he didn’t really change the song up to make it his own. To me, he would be NOTHING without his guitar. Heck, I don’t even think he’s any better than David Cook, Kris Allen or Chris Daughtry.

06. Aaron Kelly
I Believe I Can Fly
Feet planted. Hips moving side to side. Hand raised. He does that every single week! Haha. I really haven't been a fan of Aaron, but I kind of liked him this week. I thought his vocals were decent  although it did not soar, and I did not see him running through that open door. Haha. I still would've given him another song though. Really. Why does he pick the corniest songs? Ohh. Maybe because he is the corniest contestant and corny is his natural habitat. Haha. But seriously, the problem I have with him now is that he's appearing more as a karaoke singer than a real artist. Go Figure!

05. Tim Urban
Better Days
Oh no! You went out of that 5 note comfort zone that's been working for you Tim! Why?! For some reason, I was actually disappointed by Tim tonight. I know, right? How is that possible? Well, I’m secretly becoming a fan Tim Urban but tonight the vocals were more than a little uneven. I mean, he doesn't have the vocal ability to go belting out songs like this. On paper, it would've worked but a few bad phrases and the lack of range ruined the performance for me. Yes, it was good in some spots but it wasn't that great overall. It was passable at best. To be honest, Better Days was an inspired song choice... if Tim were a better singer. I thought he connected with the song more tonight than any other week though.

04. Michael Lynche
Hero
Dang! Mike and Lee should've switched songs. I mean, that would have been so much better. Ok. While Big Mike's vocals, I thought, were spotless, I didn't think the performance went anywhere. Really. Where's the epicness of that song? Sure, it was soulful. But powerful? I don't think so. His voice sounded too thin for the song. Personally, Michael would be fine, were it not for David Cook. His rendition of Hero paled in comparison to the David and David Finale duet. And that would be true with an objective comparison, which this one clearly is not. Haha.

03. Siobhan Magnus
When You Believe
Ok. This is bullsh*t. Why did the judges completely ignored the fact that it was a faultless vocal? Talk about the god damn vocals, you biased sack of crap! I honestly don't know anymore. I feel bad for Siobhan because Simon and company never critic her vocals. It’s true, she’s not commercially viable and she did sound very theater geek tonight, but she pulled off a very difficult song. The soprano at the end was amazing and it was a nice controlled vocal. Look, I don’t think this was anywhere close to being the best of the night, but it’s a shame when a singer goes on stage, sings a perfect technical performance, and then gets absolutely no credit for such an incredible task. Geez.

02. Lee Dewyze
The Boxer
Lee always looks like he's being forced to participate on the show!! Haha. Too funny. Oh Lee, you're back to your old off-pitch self. Frankly, this performance had the same problems I had with Hey Jude - beautiful phrasing, lots of passion and emotion but it lacked technical greatness and the arrangement left me confused since the song failed to build up to a huge climax which really hampered the emotional effect. Good thing, the verse gave him a chance to show a facet of his voice that was more tender than usually, while the chorus was well-suited to his rocker's rasp. Lee is an enigma to me. I like him, but he is an enigma. Ha.

01. Crystal Bowersox
People Get Ready
Now, minus her mic stand that looked suspiciously like some kind of a smoking device, that performance was truly moving! She was without an instrument for the first time and she went a cappella to the very end of the first verse. It sure stretched her boundaries just a little - more in terms of presentation than musically - and it worked perfectly fine. Her vocals weren't flawless but it was still really solid and there was some definite emotional connection present in the performance. Soulful. Powerful. Gorgeous.

American Idol 9: Top 9 Redux

Tonight, the Top 9 tackled songs of Elvis Presley and Adam Lambert - I don't know why - mentored the contestants and somehow brought his Idol experience with him.

Adam Lambert's little montage was interesting as it said NOTHING about him as a successful recording artist. Haha. I mean, usually when there's a mentor or performer on the show, they boast about their record sales - like Kelly Clarkson and her Grammy wins and over 20 million record sales or David Cook receiving his RIAA platinum album certification or even Miley Cyrus and her 15 million album sales.

It was funny watching the intro for Adam though as all they can say about him was that he is a great performer. EPIC FAIL.

That said, Adam did a serviceable job as a mentor this week. Some of his advice worked and for the others - like Andrew - it didn't. To some extent, I thought he was telling some of them how to do it more like him, which isn’t necessarily going to work for everyone.

And what the hell is wrong with Ryan Seacrest? Stumbling over his words, not making sense and he's particularly snarky and stranger than usual. He has to be on something and this isn't the first night he's been acting crazy. Drunk much? Well, he seems to have picked up where Paula left off. Haha.

Seriously. His antics were ridiculous to watch, but hey look at this, fantastic to write about. My tongue is not nearly as talented as yours… Haha. See, I don’t even have to touch that one - that’s what Ryan said! - and it makes all of this too easy.

Here we go!

09. Andrew Garcia
Hound Dog
Ok. I think I'm ready for him to leave. This week, Andrew was boring as hell with this Elvis classic. Sure, I somehow liked that he slowed down the tempo but his delivery needed to be a lot bluesier and ballsier. His vocals, though good, was very flat and dull. He was just.. not improving! Technically, it was one of Andrew's better vocals but I now think that he just isn't that good of a singer. He also shouldn't go big with his performances because he isn't a stage performer. I mean, do it low key with lots of details! That worked for him when he covered Chris Brown's Forever.  

08. Aaron Kelly
Blue Suede Shoes
For the record, I've never taken any interest in Aaron whatsoever before tonight. I thought his performance was a huge improvement from last week. His voice was a bit shaky from the walking around but it went well afterwards. To be honest, I don't really know why the judges panned his performance. Yes. It was no way near amazing but I appreciated the risk and him going upbeat and doing something different. Oh well.

07. Casey James
Lawdy Miss Clawdy
Yup. He's back to that monochromatic performance again – good vocals, but his choice of song and stage presence did nothing for me. Plus, I got that very annoying bleat in his vibrato. Casey had the opportunity to move up after his rousing performance last week. Sadly, he picked a forgettable song that made me a little confused - I mean, if I'll root for him already or not.

06. Michael Lynche
In The Ghetto
I can't stand Big Mike! Ha. There. I said it. Something about him just makes me feel very uncomfortable - and no, I'm not talking about his built. Haha. That said, I thought Big Mike delivered a brilliant vocal tonight - soulful yet intimate. I'm not so sure if I liked the folk arrangement of the song instead of the usual gospel vibe but he needed to scale it back to win over some casual voters this week. I still prefer Taylor Hick's version of this song though... and I don't like Taylor Hicks. Haha. Go figure!

05. Crystal Bowersox
Saved
Bejeweled Electric Guitar FTW! Haha. Crystal was on point, as usual! The song choice was just right in her wheelhouse and I thought that she was able to inject so much personality into the song. It was a bit fast paced for me though and I can't make out any of her words - except for that last part. And for some weird reason, I found the performance to have too much background music and not enough focus on the vocals. And although this wasn't my favorite Crystal performance, this was still pretty solid. An avarage Crystal performance but average to her is already something Andrew could aspire. Haha.

04. Siobhan Magnus
Suspicious Minds
Trivia: Two people who performed Suspicious Minds have been eliminated on that same week - Chris Daughtry and Colton Berry. Oh no. Will the trend continue? I hope not. Personally, this was a top-notch performance and while the beginning was uneven it didn’t have anything to do with technique.I simply thought that the second half of the song felt a little bit squeezed into the arrangement that the song didn’t flow as well as it should have. Siobhan's performance was absolutely pitch-perfect and Simon Cowell and Kara DioGuardi just threw her under the bus. I mean, to tell her that she was erratic and had two different voices was borderline crazy. Hey, Kara! To tell a singer that she was being erratic because she switched vocal registers is akin to me telling a boxer he is uneven because he chooses to aim both high and low! Geez.

03. Katie Stevens
Baby What You Want Me To Do
There goes Katie’s neck-swiveling again! Haha. Truth be told, Katie has gone from being one of my least favorite to enter the Finals to.. gasp ..  a personal Top 3 favorite over the past few weeks. She's clearly the most improved of the season. Who would've thought? Sure, her vocal this week was a little bit pitchy here and there, but it was full, throaty - in a good way - and rich. And was it just me or was Katie seriously channeling Taylor Swift/Carrie Underwood in this performance? I thought Simon was nuts for telling her week after week to go country but I now totally see her as a an artist of that genre with this performance. Interesting. And yes Ellen, that was a very horn-y song! Haha.

02. Tim Urban 
Can't Help Falling In Love
There is a part of me that feels like I am being tricked. Am I in bizarro land today or is Tim Urban becoming a different contestant? Sigh. It looks like last week's performance may not have been a fluke after all. Ha. Never expected to say this, but he actually did an excellent job! His phrasing was crap and the beginning was rough, but I thought that he showed some vulnerability on his vocals and that, to me, was a big step forward. He has definitely found his niche. Great song choice and thank God he didn't take Adam’s falsetto advice. Now there’s no need to Apologize. Haha. Oh and I propose that “from zero to hero” should be banned from the Idol lexicon. Right Simon?

01. Lee Dewyze
A Little Less Conversation
Lee was a stand out vocally for me. His vocals were growly and good and I didn't really notice any pitch problems. The song arrangement didn't really go anywhere but it was entertaining. He started off with his upper range playing his acoustic guitar. And when the band kicked after a few bars, he delivered his best performance this side of Treat Her Like A Lady. He was way more animated this week, which reminded me of some of Kris Allen’s more bouncy acoustic numbers last year. That said, I think he needs to loosen up more. You can do it Lee!! I Believe.