8 to 6 guys American Idol 2010

March 11, 2010

Mar 11

Tonight was the last chance for the dudes to make it into American Idol’s top 12 for 2010. The show started with a dialog about Simon being away from his fiancee and Ryan said that Kara was Simon’s binky. Simon clearly had no idea what a binky was and whispered to Kara for clarification. Even after she told him, he didn’t quite get it but I’m sure he won’t live it down for the rest of the season. They finally gave up the binky to let the guys sing. Here’s the lowdown for the top 8 guys.

Lee Dewyze

Lee sang the Owl City song “Fireflies”. It wasn’t my favorite of his performances though he sang it quite well. For me it was forgettable. Randy thought it was a “strange song choice” but that Lee made it work. Both Ellen and Randy thought it had pitch problems while Kara offered much higher praises, stating that he’d “made it a better song”. Simon thought it was nothing to rave about and that Lee was better than that version of the song. Simon did predict, however, that Lee would make it into the top 12. I agree. Not only do I hope to see him there, I expect to see him there.

Alex Lambert

Alex has made incredible progress through the weeks and showed so much more confidence. Alex is finally starting to shine through. His soulful rendition of Ray LaMontagne’s “Trouble” ended with a standing ovation. Randy wasn’t wowed but thought it was a good song choice. Ellen thought that he was ripening into a “mushy banana”. Ellen said he was getting better every week but warned him not to become a “cocky banana”. Kara told him to let go. She told him that “the only person standing between you and winning is YOU.” Simon also told him to relax and let go and said he had a distinct voice.

I had not experienced Ellen prior to American Idol so initially I had no idea what to expect from her. I wasn’t thrilled for the newest judge to be devoid of a musical background. It didn’t seem right. However, Ellen has totally worked her way into my heart and I look forward to her strange comments and quirky personality. She’s definitely a ripe banana in my book.

Tim Urban

Tim Urban was an unexpected surprise with the song Hallelujah by Leonard Cohen. Being the underdog who slid into the finals with the outing of Chris Golightly, Tim had a lot to prove. He didn’t wow the judges in the first weeks or demonstrate why he’d made it to Hollywood. For the first time with Hallelujah, Tim showed sparks of what the judges had seen initially. This was his best performance by a mile and he sang it with feeling as it should be sung. Randy said he was walking in some pretty big shoes but that he’d done a good job. Ellen ran out onto the stage and hugged him, apologizing for being so hard on him in previous weeks. Kara had originally predicted he’d quickly be sent home but that this song put him at the “top of the boys”. Simon took full responsibility for Tim’s progress, saying that his criticisms were what motivated Tim to improve. Simon thought he was “very, very smart with that song” and that it was by far the strongest performance he’d given. I agree. He might surprise us by sliding into the top 12. I wasn’t a fan initially but I think it would be interesting to watch him progress.

Andrew Garcia

Andrew tried to recreate his earlier magic from “Straight Up”, this time with the Christina Aguilera song “Genie in a Bottle”. The interesting thing about Andrew is that his best songs are girl songs, first by Paula Abdul and now with Christina. Girl songs seem to work best for him. He added a Spanish flair to the song and I loved it even though it was a little pitchy here and there. This is the zone he needs to stay in. The judges weren’t as enthused as I was. Randy said that Andrew made the whole song feel like it only had three notes. Ellen thought it was a great song choice but that the genie had come out of the bottle too late. Kara said he’d been chasing after that moment ever since the Paula song and never quite got there again. Simon thought it was “a little bit desperate” and that Andrew was going backwards.

Casey James

Casey sang the Keith Urban song “You’ll Think of Me”. I felt like I was listening to someone who was already there, already successful. There was no singing competition, just Casey singing us a song as if he’d always been singing. I’m glad he reconnected with his happy place because I’d hate to see him leave. Randy thought the song choice was too safe and that he should have chosen an edgier song. Ellen really liked it. Kara was “kinda back on the Casey train” but thought he was missing that spark. She did add that it was a move in the right direction. Simon thought it was his second best performance so far but like Randy, he wished Casey would have chosen a different song.

Aaron Kelly

Aaron totally lost my vote with his rendition of “I’m Already There” by Lonestar. I cringed almost all the way through it. If I had to choose between Aaron and Tim, I’d go with Tim as it’s refreshing to watch his progress after such a rough start. I’m really happy to see Tim grow every week. While I wouldn’t vote for Tim to win the whole enchilada, I’d like to see him stick around just to watch him prove Simon wrong as to his worthiness. As for Aaron, he probably slammed the door on his chances for the top 12. From the beginning I’ve felt that Aaron, Alex and Tim were the weakest of the guys battling each other for last place. I think Aaron won the last place slot. Randy offered a more positive outlook with “job well done” but said that Aaron still had more work to do. Ellen started with “I love you!” and ended by saying it was too much song for him. They were really throwing the L-word around for Aaron because Kara started with “I love you” as well, but told him that the song was all wrong for him. She said this was a song about a man wanting to come home to his kids, and that for someone so young to sing it, someone who wasn’t a father, it just felt all wrong for her. Simon admonished Kara that it didn’t matter if someone sang a song their life didn’t mirror and said the judges shouldn’t be confusing the contestants with this type of comment. Simon thought it was the right type of song and it was obvious that Aaron was trying hard, but it just wasn’t a good vocal. I vote him out and I’m betting that America will, too.

Todrick Hall

Todrick took on the Queen song “Somebody to Love”. All throughout the competition I wanted him out for the business issues surrounding him prior to American Idol. It just didn’t feel right for someone who left a wake of angry folks to go forward and succeed. He does, however, show talent and he really showed his range with this song. Todrick added a strong dose of gospel to the song and it was a good mix. I didn’t want to like it but I couldn’t help myself, he nailed it and I liked it. Randy thought it was one of the best male vocals of the last couple weeks and said that “Todrick is back!” Ellen agreed with me that adding the gospel worked. Kara called it dramatic like Godspell. Simon wasn’t impressed. He said that Todrick showed who he really was, just another Broadway singer. He commented on the boring songs sung by contestants sitting on stools (Andrew, Casey) and said the song may have saved Todrick.

Michael Lynche

Big Mike dropped a peg this week with the song “This Woman’s Work” by Kate Bush. Clearly the song was in honor of his wife and full of his love for her but for me, it was too sleepy. He started and ended in falsetto which were the good parts, and ended with the words “make it go away”. I agreed. I was bored and wanted the song to go away. The judges must have heard a different song because Randy thought it was hot and Ellen felt like the show had just begun and that Mike was the “one to beat”. The song brought Kara to tears. She had a hard time regaining her composure and leaned against Simon who was happy to offer his shoulder. Simon called it an incredibly difficult song, said that Mike had nailed it and that it was by far the best performance of all the live shows. No way! The girls hold those top spots as far as I’m concerned and the guys are just runners up right now.

I believe that Aaron and Alex will get the big brush off and not make it into the top 12. Andrew is dicey and has been on shaky ground through most of the competition. It was up to the genie to save him.